"Ellis, wake up." Nick nudged the snoozing mechanic in the passenger seat, then brought his band back to the steering wheel. The young man stirred from his light sleep, murmuring against the window and staining the glass. Nick would be pissed if this was his car, but thankfully it was Ellis' truck, so he didn't much care how dirty it got.

"Wha'?" Ellis rubbed his eye. "We home already?"

"No, actually," Nick replied as he began to decelerate. Ellis looked at him curiously and noticed that something had caught Nick's eye at the side of the road. He followed his gaze but could see nothing out of the ordinary. There was a meadow with a tree or two, but nothing much else. He sent Nick a questioning look, his eyebrow arched. His older lover just smirked as he glided the truck into park at the side of the road and turned off the engine, leaving them in silence. "Get some beers from the cooler in the back. I don't feel like heading home just yet."

Ellis didn't have time to ask what the heck Nick was up to – his lover was already out the driver's door. "Aw'right," he shrugged before doing the same, stretching his arms to the sky after his brief nap. The sky itself was bathed in the milky pinks and oranges of sunset. It had been a great day on the coast for the two of them – Ellis had loved the beach and Nick had rather enjoyed the city, with its shopping and casino. They had been on their way home in relative silence until Nick decided to pull this out of nowhere. And spontaneity wasn't exactly Nick's thing.

Ellis continued to watch him, seeing him walk up to the fence of the meadow, waiting a beat or two, and then climbing over it.

"Nick! We allowed in there?" asked the mechanic, his eyes zipping from side to side in case they weren't.

"Relax, sport," chuckled the card shark, casting a smirk in his direction. "Grab those beers, will ya?"

Ellis had almost given up trying to understand Nick and his motives most days; a lot of the time he just went with it, trusting Nick's judgement anyway. This was one of those times – they were usually good ideas for the most part, and if they weren't it just meant it was more fun.

Climbing up to the back of his pickup truck, he found the cooler they'd taken to the beach and plucked out two beers. They weren't as cold now, but he didn't think that would matter, seeing as the sun was going down and it'd get a little colder pretty soon. Then he followed Nick's lead and hopped the fence, noticing him a little way ahead, standing on a small mound near one of the trees. Keen to know exactly what his cryptic lover was up to, Ellis quickened his step, the two bottles clinking between his fingers.

"What's the deal, Nick?" he asked as he reached the gambler, prompting Nick to throw that smirk at him again. Wordlessly, he waited until Ellis was within touching distance and then reached out to take his chin, moving his head in the right direction. As soon as Nick's hand moved away, Ellis' jaw went slack.

He could see the sun setting into the ocean horizon, the rolling green hills, and the glowing towns in between. It all complemented each other like the components of a masterpiece painting, except it was all right there in front of them, like the universe had come together to create the perfect end to an already great day.

"Wow," Ellis whispered reverently as Nick sat down beside him. "How'd you know this place was here?"

Nick tugged a beer bottle from Ellis' hand, then reached back up to take his wrist. "I didn't. Now sit down and let's just enjoy the silence, hey?"

A little sheepishly, Ellis sat himself down beside his lover and waited to see if Nick would initiate any sort of contact. He wasn't sure if his partner was intending this little escapade to be romantic or not and didn't want to jump the gun by starting it himself. Nick twisted the cap off of his beer and took a swig while looking out at the view, and almost obediently, Ellis did the same. Then Nick removed his shoes and socks and set them aside, letting his toes breathe amongst the cool green grass. The hick watched him, fascinated, and decided that he should follow suit. He kicked off his boots and stuffed his socks inside of them, splaying his legs out and relaxing.

It was incredibly peaceful and Ellis very quickly became accustomed to the silence, the stillness of the moment. While he loved his fast-paced and busy life, Nick had been the patience to his rashness, the ice to his fire, the one he'd really needed. He'd hate to contemplate life without him, and one day he'd tell Nick that.

They finished their beers in the peaceful quiet. Ellis leaned back a little so he could look up at the darkening sky, at the stars beginning to peek out one by one, and accidentally brushed his fingers against Nick's. Hesitating a little, he moved his hand away and tried a glance over at his lover, but Nick's hand came back almost immediately, covering Ellis' and curling his fingers beneath the callused palm. Nick had his green eyes fixed on Ellis, but they moved as soon as the mechanic took notice.

"Ellis," Nick breathed in and then exhaled deeply, seemingly searching his words. "Listen, I… I don't… ugh." He rubbed a hand over his face. "This sentimental shit doesn't come very easy for me."

The Southerner blinked a few times before an understanding smile moved over his face, and he took the hand not twined with Nick's to cradle his cheek comfortingly.

"S'alright, Nick. I know what'chu wanna say," he grinned, scooting a few inches nearer. "Don't gotta say nothin'."

But Nick pulled the hand away, moving his upper body so that he could face the kid properly.

"No, Ellis. Let me say it. I want you to hear this." That was enough to keep Ellis quiet, his smile disappearing in surprise, and so Nick tried to find his words again. "The apocalypse sucked. Surviving against zombies sucked. Watching people I liked die in front of my eyes? Yeah, fucking sucked. The only part that didn't suck was you. You were the only good thing that came out of the world going to shit. Well, yeah, Coach and Rochelle, too, but mainly you. I just wanted you to know that."

Ellis waited to see if there was any more - Nick was looking away from him thoughtfully and he wondered if maybe he had more on his mind. Before he could ask, the conman spoke again.

"And… I'm glad that you wanted to stay with me. I know I'm not the easiest guy to get along with, let alone be with..." He trailed off. Ellis didn't dare speak until he was absolutely sure that Nick was finished – and besides, with every word Nick spoke from his heart, the more Ellis could feel his own swell in delight.

Eventually, Nick offered a small shrug and a soft look in his eyes as they turned up slightly to look at him. "Thanks, El. For being with me. And for finding it in your heart to love me, I guess."

The amount of need that Ellis had to reciprocate each and every word was growing with each passing second, but he knew there was no way he could ever find the words quite like Nick had done. While speaking from his heart came easy, following Nick was not.

Ellis removed his cap and met Nick's eyes, hoping he could say all he wanted wordlessly. He watched as Nick's lips gave a small, intimate movement that he almost missed.

"It ain't hard to love you," he replied.

It hardly mattered which of them initiated the kiss, as each was slowly urging it into more passionate territory. Ellis had a hand buried in Nick's hair, while one of Nick's had soon found its way beneath Ellis' shirt, fingers dancing across smooth, bronzed skin. A soft breeze wafted over them at that moment and Ellis mumbled something into Nick's lips, the word only coming out as a slightly aroused noise.

"Nn…" He pushed away only far enough for Nick to begin kissing his jawline instead. He cast his eyes down to the road, only partially obscured by the fencing. "Someone might see..."

"I don't care," Nick growled against the peppered skin of Ellis' throat. "I don't give a fuck about anyone else."

Those words alone would have been enough for Ellis to melt, forget for the moment that Nick was trailing his fingers absent-mindedly over his stomach, through the small trail of hair leading down into his pants. The hick lowered himself to the ground, pulling Nick down on top of him.

The kissing resumed like it had never stopped. When a second breeze hit their bodies, Nick gave a shudder and draped his body over Ellis like a blanket, keeping him comfortably warm. The closeness also allowed their crotches to meet and grind in the middle, eliciting a grunt of pleasure from Nick. Ellis chuckled.

"Nick… ain't never wanted you so bad b'fore," he murmured into Nick's lips, taking a moment in the pause to realise how hard he was all of a sudden, how aroused they both were. In terms of 'want,' he wasn't just talking about sex – it was desire times a thousand.

It was the same for Nick. His pulse was racing and could even feel his skin begin to tremble. This wasn't the usual thing for him to experience before sex – it only happened when he considered it to be 'making love,' which was the way he wanted this to go.

"Off," he said in a breathless request as his fingers tangled themselves in the hem of Ellis' shirt. It was gone in only a few seconds, and Nick wasted no time in relearning the patterns of his lover's chest. His experienced fingers swept the skin like a blind man learning Braille, paying special attention to the smooth stomach and the area beneath. Ellis exhaled a small laugh, tugging impatiently on Nick's shirt buttons.

As soon as the shirt fell away, Ellis pulled him closer to keep the heat between them smouldering. He wrapped his arms around Nick's shoulders and arched his spine, smiling as Nick's head moved beside his own. He could hear soft pants and small hums of content purr near his ear as they continued the gentle grind. Nick reached out and grasped at the grass as he rubbed against Ellis particularly heavily, enjoying listening to his lover moan for him like he had done so many times before. The conman knew he was in too deep - he'd never get enough of this. Or of him.

In that moment, all of Nick's senses were wonderfully occupied. Seeing the opaque, glazed blue eyes of Ellis boring into his own, fixing him with an intense, flirtatious stare. Hearing the soft whimpers, the contented sighs, the whispers of his name. Feeling Ellis' hands brushing passionately through his hair and the amazing sensation of the warm skin of their chests pressed close, fusing them together. Tasting the unique, intoxicating flavour of the Southerner's mouth and tongue, driving him insane. Smelling the earthy grass surrounding them and the addictive combination of Ellis' cologne and sweat, going straight to his head and making Nick crazy for more.

Nick's hand curved against Ellis' neck as his mouth kissed along the other side, the skin warm and inviting beneath his lips. The hick braced his palms against the ground and thrust up, releasing a held breath at the apex. Once there was a gap between them, he hurried to unfasten his jeans and release the pressure building up in his groin. He could feel that Nick was in similar agony and took pity, unzipping the gambler's fly and pushing down his briefs until his fingers found the hard flesh rising to meet him.

Ellis began to stroke him, purring into Nick's mouth as he rose his head for more kisses; but suddenly, he paused. "Shit, we left the lube in the truck," he cursed, his hand going still.

Nick just gave him a gloating smirk, digging into his pants pocket for the travel tube of lubricant that was usually stashed in the truck's glove box. Bastard must've swiped it whilst Ellis had been napping. He winked, then shifted on his knees slightly, dipping his hips back down for a long, slow thrust between Ellis' legs.

"Sh-shut up," Ellis panted as he took the lube, despite the fact that Nick hadn't even said anything. He knew exactly what he would say, more likely what he was going to say.

Reluctantly, Nick lifted his pelvis away so that Ellis had enough room to prep him. Even as Ellis poured a small amount onto his fingers and rubbed his hands together, Nick could only keep his gaze on his lover's face, his eyes in particular. Before he knew it, his erection was being massaged with nimble, practised fingers. It was either a blessing or a curse that Ellis knew exactly the right amount of speed and pressure that Nick liked. And it was through practice that Ellis had learned to couple the necessity of preparation with the pleasure of a small hand job. He'd become increasingly good at it.

"Fuck," Nick moaned as he gripped the grass beneath them, his forehead resting against Ellis' and their mouths not quite meeting, close enough to share breath. "Baby..."

"Mmm?" hummed Ellis, enjoying this bout of public intimacy more than he cared to admit. Every time the wind picked up, or he could hear the tree nearby rustle or a car drive past every once in a while, it reminded him of where they were. But it was only making him more eager for Nick to take him. The build-up had been perfect, and stopping now wasn't an option.

Lifting his legs, Ellis tugged Nick's pants down the rest of the way using his toes, feet scrambling against the denim. Nick chuckled deeply against Ellis' lips, arching an eyebrow upward. "I almost forget how flexible you can be, Fireball."

"Don't mind reminding ya," Ellis quipped back, moving his hand back down Nick's shaft and teasing the tip with his thumb.

Knowing that he'd be finished soon if Ellis kept this up, Nick took action and sat up on his knees out of his lover's reach. The kid could do nothing but watch, slightly embarrassed, as Nick loomed over him. It was dark by now and the stars and moon had come out. The white light was casting gently on Nick's left side and Ellis could make out his outline, could see the look on his face. It was lustful, but calm, patient.

Nick backed up slightly and gently tugged at Ellis' pants, pulling them off his legs along with his boxers. He'd never wanted the intimate act of removing each other's clothes to last so long before, but tonight was something different and he wanted Ellis to know it.

As he moved back in, Ellis obediently spread his legs, hooking his hands into the crooks of his knees. He was ready and waiting, but Nick had other ideas. After a slow lean-in, he met Ellis' lips softly to keep him occupied while he took the lubricant and pooled some into his palm. It was only a few moments more of kissing, during which Ellis was surely wondering what was taking him so long, before Nick carefully and gradually slipped one slick finger inside of him with an accompanying purr.

He could just about see Ellis' eyelids flutter through his eyelashes, spurring him on further. Turning his head, Nick continued to kiss at his partner's neck over and over at the same time he slowly moved his finger in and out, working Ellis enough so that he was able to fit another in. Nick could feel every twitch and breath vibrate through his lips against his lover's skin, even more so when Ellis reached up and cupped the back of his head, encouraging it. And then his fingers twitched, tugging at his hair, and Nick couldn't help but moan also.

"Take me," Ellis suddenly gasped, his legs clamping a little more around Nick's waist, his back arching toward the starry heavens. "Take me!"

Nick mumbled a curse and broke away with a hot exhale. God, he wanted to see Ellis' face at that moment and he wasn't disappointed – the moonlight made his eyes sparkle dimly, a small moist patch on his neck where Nick had been breathing also showed itself for him, decorating the Southerner like he was God's gift. Something tugged at the gambler's heartstrings, pulling him towards Ellis like a fateful red string. He was fucking beautiful. Falling in love had hit him like a runaway train, and Nick knew right then that he couldn't let Ellis go, not even if he wanted to. He could never face losing him or having this end. If this was going to be forever then that would be more than okay with him, and something he was prepared to fight for.

"Please, darlin'," Ellis whined softly, his hips bucking up to rub their bare crotches together, pulling Nick's pelvis down with his hands at the same time.

With a soft grunt, Nick pulled his fingers away and reached for his erection, shivering a little at another sliver of wind and finally moved their bodies closer, his free hand braced under Ellis' leg. He held his breath as he positioned himself, but Ellis leaned in the last few inches between their mouths and stole it, capturing his lips in a perfect fit.

"Ellis..." Nick husked out his name for no reason other than he wanted to. A moment or two later, his length was gradually sinking deep into the mechanic, both men holding each other as if they were the last link to the Earth. Ellis buried his face into Nick's neck, trying to disguise his moans and small gasps with nips to the conman's skin. Hearing his lover lose control always brought a smile to Nick's face and he couldn't contain his grin without moaning slightly himself, especially when he slipped fully inside, feeling the tightness envelop him.

Nick felt Ellis' hands move slowly up his back to come to rest on his shoulders, the fingers gripping him there. Similarly, up came Ellis' legs to hook back around his waist. It was clear that he was bracing himself like he knew what was coming, which of course he did. But Nick wanted to make sure.

"Ready?" he whispered, placing a small kiss to Ellis' cheek, to which Ellis gave a quick nod. With this confirmation, Nick braced on hand underneath his lover against his lower back, the other hand gripping the grass, and gently began to rock back and forth.

Ellis gave another, harsher moan of his partner's name that was stolen away by a light breeze. He tugged Nick as close as physically possible and then some, and let his head fall back, exposing the curve of his neck invitingly to Nick. And after such an invitation, it would've been rude not to reply. Picking out a spot of skin there, Nick licked once, twice, and then closed his lips around it with the intention of leaving a rosy, possessive love-bite that would be impossible to cover up.

Ellis shivered, but not from the cold, as he felt every inch of Nick inside him. One of his hands moved up into his lover's hair where the fingers gripped tightly. He could hear Nick groan at the pressure and so did it again, scratching lazily at the scalp afterwards. In return, the card shark introduced his teeth into the act of marking Ellis' skin.

"Kiss me," Ellis whispered suddenly, and Nick lifted his head. The kid still looked fucking beautiful – there was no way he wouldn't obey.

Not only did he kiss Ellis the way he'd wanted, but he also reached down and braced his hands against the underside of Ellis' thighs, lifting his legs a little higher, bending his body a little more, altering the angle just enough for a more intense thrust. His knees were digging into the ground, cementing the support he needed to continue the rhythm he had built up.

The moans that reached his ears after that were like heaven. Ellis' hands fell away and thudded to the grass as he gave himself up completely. Seizing the opportunity, Nick reached up and took those hands in his, letting their fingers entwine so that they both had something to hang on to. This let their faces come together once more, Nick straining to look into those baby blue eyes through the darkness. Then he rolled his hips and Ellis' head fell back again, leaving his boyfriend to start kissing his chin and jawline.

"I love ya..." Ellis rolled his head and squeezed Nick's hands lovingly, hoping he wasn't about to stop now. Nick did stop, but only long enough to readjust his balance so he was leaning a little more into Ellis, trying to touch as much of him as he could at the same time.

"El." He nudged Ellis gently with his nose, encouraging his face to look back up at him. The moonlight glint in his eyes was back, and his rhythm faltered for just a moment. "I love you. Goddammit, Ellis, I love you..."

Their mutual rhythm picked up instantly, giving Ellis no time to react to what Nick had just said to him for the first time. Twice. Kisses connected and broke over and over, parted lips letting out moans that were impossible to tell whom they were coming from. Ellis pulled his hand away from Nick's so that he could cup the back of his head again, keeping their faces close together and letting their breath and heat pass between them. For a few moments, they felt like one being.

Now that one of his hands was free, Nick slipped it down and found Ellis' cock flat to his stomach. The hustler couldn't stop the smile from growing on his face as he began to massage it, trying his best to match the tempo of his rocking hips. He could feel Ellis' fingers squeeze around his other hand before he heard a slightly louder, higher-pitched moan escape from his swollen lips.

"Yesss," hissed the mechanic as the fingers in Nick's hair splayed and gripped over and over again. "Don't stop..."

"Sweetheart..." Nick bared his teeth and shifted his balance only slightly, laying his head beside his lover's until his ear was next to Ellis' mouth. He continued to buck his hips as he felt a familiar heat swelling in his lower stomach, and knew that soon he'd be approaching the point of no return himself. He could also feel the hot breathy cries against the shell of his ear, and could tell from the sounds alone just how close Ellis was, too.

Taking his hand away from Ellis' cock, not wanting it to end yet, Nick pressed both of Ellis' hands above his head and thrust as hard as he could, giving Ellis some competition in who could pant their lover's name the loudest. Ellis' legs clamped themselves harder around Nick's waist and his back arched, the thrum in his loins rapidly coiling. He parted his mouth ready to cry out in pleasure before Nick seized his lips in a hot, needy kiss. At the same time, he rolled his hips and struck the deep spot that was entirely the Georgian's undoing. His climax hit him like storm waves crashing against the shore – he spilled his load across their rippling stomachs, and mere moments later felt Nick shudder strongly above him. Ellis had tightened around him so intensely that it felt like the pleasure had hit him out of nowhere, flooding his brain like opium. He caught sight of Ellis' eyelids flickering as he broke their kiss, letting their wild pants fill the silence.

It wasn't until he was sure he was entirely spent before Nick very carefully pulled out. Ellis' legs eventually fell away and thudded to the ground with the rest of him. The grass was cool against his hot, sweaty skin and he gave another shiver, reaching up to tug Nick close in a post-coital embrace. Even as he did so, he remembered that Nick wasn't really into the whole cuddling thing - but the man didn't seem to be putting up much of a protest. In fact, the arms that slid under Ellis' body to hold him tighter only seemed to encourage the idea. The mechanic snuggled into it, and smiled against Nick's shoulder as they panted together. It felt like hours before one of them finally spoke.

"Ain't it pretty?" whispered Ellis, causing Nick to lift his head and look at him in question.

"Huh?"

"The sky, Nick. The stars. I ain't never seen 'em like this b'fore."

Moving his weight onto one arm, the conman twisted until he could look up and see for himself. Because they were away from the cities in the middle of the countryside, there was less light obscuring the view of the night sky. It really was something special, but Nick just shrugged as if unimpressed and settled back on top of his partner, smirking at him. "As beautiful as it is, Fireball, I've got grass in places it shouldn't be."

The Georgian chuckled, twining his finger lazily into a bundle of stray hairs that were hanging down near Nick's temple. "This was real nice, Nick. Jus' you 'n' me… all slow and gentle, y'know?"

The gambler simply gave a small nod and leant in for a kiss, just as slow and gentle as their lovemaking had been. Then he whispered something against Ellis' mouth, staining those lips with his breath: "I love you, Ace." Ellis responded with a large grin – he hoped Nick would be saying that to him more often, because he knew he would never tire of hearing it.

After a few more moments of just being together, Nick and Ellis eventually picked themselves up, dressed themselves (and each other), and headed back through the sweet-smelling meadow to the fence and the truck which was still parked innocently at the side of the road. Ellis even dared to hold Nick's hand the short walk there and even most of the way home, resting on top of Nick's on the gear stick. The cynical conman allowed it, giving it a quick brush with his thumb every now and again as he steered them on through the night.

In the morning sunlight glinted off two empty beer bottles, nestled comfortably together in the meadow's dew-covered grass.