her fight and fury is fiery
oh but she loves
like sleep to the freezing
sweet and right and merciful
i'm all but washed
in the tide of her breathing
Hozier, "Cherry Wine"

July 16
"Okay, wait, hang on, I'm working here!" she said with a laugh. "Like we said before, we need to stick to back roads because the highways might be clogged, and then—"

He wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms to her sides so she couldn't sign. Kissed behind her ear and dodged when she tried to splash him. He kissed the corner of her jaw. "West on route sixty to six-oh-three," he signed with one hand. Nibbled her ear and rested his chin on her shoulder to peer at the map she'd tacked to the bathroom wall. "Then north on fifty-five through Kansas till we hit Nebraska."

She shrugged off his hold and snaked a hand back to tug at his hair. "When I agreed to let you share my bath, it was on the condition that you behave."

He licked drops of water off her neck. "I am behaving! We're naked in the tub; you're sitting between my legs; I'm not even copping a feel!"

She snorted. "You are a model of restraint."

He slid his arms around her waist and squeezed. Ran a hand up to cup one of her breasts. "I am."

"Well since you're so goddamn responsible, I think it's time you learned to drive."

He went still. She craned her neck to look at him. "Kai…"

"No, I know. But there's no traffic, so it's not like you have to worry about other drivers. Not only that, but that car practically drives itself. If you get it up to forty and turn on the cruise it keeps you in the lane. It flashes if there's something in your blind spot. It auto-brakes if you get too close to something in front of you. It flashes if you're about to back into something."

He mulled it over a moment. She was probably right, but that didn't make him any less nervous about it. "Okay…" he said with a reluctant frown.

"What if I got hurt and couldn't drive, Nicky? We might be stranded somewhere for weeks!"

He kissed her temple. Tweaked a nipple. "I like being stranded with you."

"Wouldn't be as fun if I were too hurt to drive." She ran a hand down his thigh. "I'd probably be too hurt to do much of anything. No fun bath time." She wiggled against him. "No fun couch time. No fun outside time. No fun kitchen—"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." He sighed and ran his fingers through his damp hair. "You're right. I guess we should start...now?"

She tilted her head thoughtfully. Pushed to her feet. He held her hand to steady her as she stepped out, then he stood and pulled the plug. She put her arms around his neck and pressed her naked body against his. "Maybe in an hour or so?"

"You are so goddamn smart."

"That is so true." She kissed him, then strolled to the bedroom. He wrapped a towel loosely around his waist and followed her. Watched hungrily as she scooted backwards onto the bed, leaned against the pillows, drew her knees up and let them fall to either side. She ran both hands down her body and along the insides of her thighs.

He dropped the towel and crawled onto the bed between her legs. She took his face between her palms and kissed him so well and thoroughly that if he could have, he would've whimpered.

When the kiss finally broke he grinned at her like a lovesick idiot and kissed his way down her body. He paused to lick and suck her nipples before moving on. Nibbled at her belly. Turned his head to kiss the inside of one thigh, then the other.

She squirmed in anticipation and he glanced up at her with a smirk. He kept his eye on her face as he pressed his mouth to her labia and slowly ran the tip of his tongue up and down her slit. She caught her lip between her teeth, then her mouth fell open on a rough gasp as he spread her and licked every inch of her.

He flicked his tongue against her clit and then down, to dip inside her, then up again, over and over until her breath came in short little bursts. Between laps he stopped to rub his soft beard against her inner lips, which drove her wild every time. Just when she thought she couldn't take another second of his teasing, he slid two fingers into her and pressed them firmly against her g-spot. Her hips bucked, and he stilled her with a hand on her hip. He watched her steadily as his fingers moved inside of her, circling and fluttering and stroking.

"Nick, fuck, that's so good, I love your fingers inside me, love your mouth!" She didn't sign it, but he didn't mind: he loved watching her lips form the words, her tongue and her teeth, the dirtier the better.

He flashed her that half-smile and dipped his head again. He worked her g-spot with his fingertips and her clit with his lips and tongue. It felt good, so fucking good, the way he found exactly the right spot every time, the way he played with her clit just right, like he'd been doing it for years. He pressed his tongue against her and moved it in a slow circle that gradually sped up as he felt the muscles in her thighs tense. Every rotation took her higher, closer, until she teetered right on the edge. He kept her there for ages, building up and slowing down and then doing it all over again.

"You want to come?" he signed with his free hand. He looked up at her without lifting his head. "Want me to make you come?"

"Yes! Nicky, please! Wanna come so bad, need it!"

He moaned against her, silently, and nodded. "Good girl," he signed. He sucked her clit and flicked it hard and fast with his tongue. His fingers danced against her g-spot and she grabbed a handful of his hair as finally, finally the wave crested and crashed over her.

"Like that, yeah, yes, fuck that's so good!" She went tight around his fingers and squeezed her eyes shut until she saw stars. He didn't let up, just kept stroking her g-spot and lathing her clit. She shuddered and jerked and pleaded as a second orgasm tripped hard over the first. Finally she pressed a hand to his forehead and he left her too-sensitive clit, but his fingers stayed inside her.

Her wetness streamed down his hand as he coaxed her higher and higher, a string of mini-quakes that melded into one long, delicious flood of sensation. She was incoherent, strung out and gone.

Finally he eased up, moving to light butterfly strokes and then, at last, letting his fingers slip out of her. Her body went limp and she sprawled like her strings had been cut. He grinned, grabbed the towel off the floor, and wiped his hand to the wrist, then knelt between her legs.

She ran a hand down her face and tried to shake out her rubbery legs. She felt how cotton candy tasted: hazy and melting, a cloud of sweet that floated across your tongue like a whisper, but lingered long after.

"Fuck," she mumbled. She looked at him, a crease between her brows. "How the hell did you keep that up so long?" she signed.

He shrugged. "Sign all day, finger all night, it's who I am."

She smothered a giggle. "You're a fucking nerd, that's who you are." The feeling was starting to return to her extremities. She arched her back in a stretch and crooked her finger at him.

He crawled up her body to kiss her. She licked the taste of her cunt off his lips and carded her fingers through his curls. Her other hand slid down to wrap around his cock. She squeezed. He let out a shaky breath.

"You want to fuck me, love?" she said.

He brushed his nose against hers and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. "You know I do, angel," he signed one-handed as he kissed her neck.
She dragged her thumb through the drop of pre-come crowning the tip of his cock and offered it to him. He lapped it away and kissed her, hard. Hooked his arms under her knees and slowly, slowly slid into her. She was still incredibly sensitive, and her entire body responded to the exquisite feel of him inside her with a long, sensual shudder. He wrapped one of her legs around his waist and draped the other one over his shoulder, and began to move. Slowly at first, but picking up speed and intensity as her fingers tightened on his shoulders.

"God that's so good, you feel so good, don't stop, I love the way you fuck me!"

"I know, sweet girl," he signed. "It's you, it's all you, can't get enough of you."

She grabbed his ears and pulled him down for a kiss. Nipped at his lips and he moved faster, harder, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Her head fell back and he bit the spot where the pulse pounded in her throat. She fisted a hand in his hair and dug her fingers into the muscles that danced in his back.

He'd meant what he'd said: he couldn't get enough of her; her scent, her taste, her sweat-slicked skin, her breath against his neck, the way she felt wrapped around him. He nibbled the sharp edge of her jaw and mouthed her name against her throat. "Close, beautiful, fuck you're so good!" he signed.

"Yes, Nicky, please!"

That was all it took, the fevered plea he read on her lips. He came hard, in a dizzying rush of heat and euphoria that left him staggered. It was always like this with her. Every time felt like a revelation, a rediscovery of some pure and joyful part of himself he didn't even know he'd been missing.

He didn't know it, because it wasn't like her to put sentiments like that into words, but she felt exactly the same. Sex with him wasn't just sex; it felt like something more, something bigger, and just a few weeks ago she would've thought that was the stupidest idea she'd ever heard. Now as they lay tangled together gasping for breath and tingling all over, she knew it was the simple truth.

He rolled onto his back and tried to breathe. Her arm flopped sideways and somehow she managed to pat his face without poking him in his good eye before letting her hand come to rest in the center of his chest. He dropped his own arm across her body and patted her hip.

"So about those driving lessons…"

She gave a drunken giggle and her head lolled toward him. "Apply half the concentration to learning to drive as you do to going down on me, and you'll have it mastered in no time."

He flipped onto his side with a wide grin and ran his thumb over her bottom lip. "I've mastered going down on you, huh?"

She tilted her head back and forth in a so-so gesture. "Eh. Maybe."

His face scrunched. "Nope, okay, no, turn over, we're going again!" He pounced, tackling her to the bed and blowing raspberries against her neck. She swatted at his shoulders and tried to squirm away, but he held her down and pressed wet, sloppy kisses all along the curve of her shoulder and her chest. Finally he lifted his head to kiss the tip of her nose.

She mussed his hair with both hands and they grinned at each other like fools. "I love you, you goofy idiot."

His smile flickered for a second, then returned as the half-smirk that made her so crazy. "Your goofy idiot, I hope."

She let out a huff that was part nervous, part amused, part touched. "Fuck that's corny."

"You started it." He flopped onto his back and was silent so long she fought the urge to fidget. Finally he nudged her. "I'm deaf but I can hear you worrying."

She threw out a hand in a helpless gesture. "Well—!"

He turned onto his side, grabbed her arm, pulled her against him, and kissed her breathless. "I love you too, Kai. Pretty sure I've loved you since you walked into that police station and forgot you had your sunglasses on your head. I couldn't say anything because, you know."

"I would've run for the hills."

He tapped her nose. "Plus you really would have thought I imprinted on you like a baby duck."

"Oh my God are you ever going to let me live that down?!"

"Nope. Hopefully never. Hopefully we'll be eighty and I'll still be talking about baby ducks."

Her brows lifted. "Three weeks and you're already planning the next sixty years?"

He shrugged. "Just that one moment."

"Oh, that's okay then. I'll be there."

"Good." He ran his nails up and down her back and she arched into him. "I'll be there too. With you."

July 18
They left bright and early that morning, earlier than he would've liked, but of course she was up near dawn, and by eight she'd dragged him out of bed (after he dragged her back into it for an hour) and into the shower. They had the last of the eggs and bacon for breakfast, along with toast made from some of yesterday's bread, and several mugs of coffee each.

She put fresh sheets on the bed while he cleaned the kitchen, and they met in the bathroom to clean it before putting everything away and moving to the living room.

"Well," she signed.

"Is that everything?"

"I think so. Did you check under the bed?"

He nodded. "Cabinets and closets, too."

She let out a long sigh. "I guess that's it, then."

He took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. "I'm glad we came here."

"Me too," she said with a wistful smile. They stepped out onto the porch and she closed the door behind them. "Should I lock it?"

He shook his head. "Leave it open, in case someone comes. It was a good shelter for us; it might be for them too."

"Okay." They walked to the car, and he stopped her for a lingering kiss before opening the door for her. She got in and he checked on the sign he'd nailed to the porch railing:

NICK ANDROS AND KAI D'ARNAUD WERE HERE, 6/25/18 - 7/18/18. ON TO HEMINGFORD HOME, NE VIA 60W, 603W, 55N

"All good?" she said when he got in next to her.

"Yep. But—hang on a sec. I have—I mean I wanted to—" He frowned and scraped a hand back through his hair. Her head tilted in a question. He flashed her a quick, nervous grin, and fished something from his pocket. A small box. "I got you something."

She took it from him with a puzzled smile. "A present? For me?"

"Open it." He did the hair thing again, this time giving the curls a few tugs before he let go. "I'm sorry it's not wrapped. You did such a good job with my eyepatch, but I'm not that crafty, so I just thought—anyway. Open it."

"I don't mind that it's not wrapped. I'm touched you got me something. I got a little silly with the eyepatch. I was just so excited and—" She broke off. "Right. Opening." She drew in a little breath and lifted the lid. Her eyes widened and the breath left in a delighted gasp.

"Do you like it? If you don't I can find something else. Just when I went to get a watch, I saw it and for some reason I thought of you. I don't know why, exactly. It just—reminded me. If you don't like it—"

She waved a hand to stop him. "I love it, Nick. It's beautiful." She pulled it out of the box and held it up to the sunlight: a delicate gold chain with a hammered gold crescent moon dangling from it. There was a little card inside the box that explained it was meant to be worn to represent a waxing moon. "The new moon."

A smile flickered across her lips and when she looked at him he could see the brightness in her eyes. "It's perfect."

"I—um." He felt strangely shy. "I'm glad you like it. Do you want me to—?" He held out his hands to take it from her, and she twisted around in the seat so he could fasten it. His fingers were sensitive and nimble; he got the dainty clasp on the first try, then dropped a kiss on the back of her neck.

She turned to face him again. It hung a few inches below her clavicle, and the gold looked rich against her warm skin. Her fingers danced to it and away. "How does it look?" she said.

His mouth curved in that slow half-smile. "Perfect," he said.

She had flipped down the visor to study her reflection, and when she glanced at him his good eye was trained on her face, not the necklace at all. She blushed. "You aren't even looking!"

He let his gaze drop a moment, then drift back up to her eyes. "Like I said: perfect."

She leaned across the center console and pulled him to her for a long, thorough kiss. "I love you," she said.

"I'm very lovable," he said with a smirk.

She kissed his dimples. The tip of his nose. "Very. Thank you for my necklace. I really do love it."

"Good," he said. He kissed the corner of her jaw. "You're very lovable too."

She fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Is that why you spoil me and buy me pretty things?"

"Liberate you pretty things, but yes. Exactly."

"Lucky me. An arrangement to make any girl swoon."

He sighed. "I know it's tempting, but please don't swoon, babe. I'm fresh outta smelling salts, and you promised to drive first."

She gave a grave nod and gripped the wheel with both hands. "I'll do my best." She peeked at him. "Ready to go now, or any other surprises lurking in your pants?"

"Well—"

She lifted a finger. "That's not a surprise. Any other other surprises?"

He flashed an insouciant grin and shrugged. "Nope, I guess that's it. Let's get moving."

She backed slowly out of the driveway. She didn't want to go; neither of them did; but they knew it was time. The cabin had sheltered them when they needed it, and now they needed to get on with things. Nebraska and Mother Abagail were waiting.

They made good time that day. She played music from her phone that he could feel through the speaker at his knee. Sometimes she signed the words for him of songs she particularly liked. He drove some, after practicing all day yesterday, and he found that he actually liked it. He didn't have to worry about other drivers, like she'd said, and the feel of the vehicle moving under him at his direction was exhilarating.

"We'll get you a muscle car. You can be a car guy," she said with a teasing grin.

"Can you wear an outfit like Sandy at the end of Grease?"

"Only if you do a duck ass hairdo."

He considered it. "We'll table the resolution for now, but negotiations might resume at a later date."

"Whatever you say, greased lightning."

They stopped for a lunch of sandwiches she'd packed back at the house, and drank cold Coke from the cooler. They found a gas station that still had electricity and topped off the gas tank, replaced the cooler's ice, and raided the place for junk food.

"It's not a road trip without Cheetos," she said.

"I like these." He held up a pack of Sno Balls, and she made a face.

"Sorry, kid, I'm allergic to coconut. Eat those and no kisses from me."

He dropped the snack cakes like they'd burned him. When she turned her back he surreptitiously slipped a handful of Almond Joys back on the shelf and sidled away. He almost ran into a little rack of condoms, and when he caught it and set it upright he stood a moment blinking like an idiot.

He tapped a shelf to get her attention and nodded toward the condoms. "So I guess…we can't exactly unring that bell, but…"

She blinked in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "Did the last few days make so little impression on you?"

She looked from him to the rack and back again, and then it clicked. "Oh! Shit. No. I guess I should've told you, but I sort of forgot too? I guess. I have an IUD. No post-apocalyptic bundles of joy for us, I promise."

His mouth fell open. Snapped shut again. His knees went weak with relief as her meaning filtered through his haze of mini-panic. "Oh thank God." He frowned. "Not that—I mean—it wouldn't be—the end of the world—"

"No, we've already lived through that."

"But it wouldn't exactly be—great timing. I can't believe it didn't occur to me before. I feel like an idiot." He shifted his weight. Looked down at his boots a moment, then back up at her with a sheepish expression. "I guess maybe it did occur to me, sort of, somewhere in the back of my mind, but then when you didn't mention it…"

She lifted a brow. His face scrunched.

"I just mean"—he let out a rough sigh of frustration—"I figured either you had it handled, or you…were good. With…taking the chance."

"Were you?" she said, her expression mild.

"I…" He paused to give it some serious thought. A moment ago he'd nearly had a stroke when he realized they'd spent the last few days having copious amounts of unprotected sex, but he also hadn't said anything at the time. And it had occurred to him, more than once, and it wasn't like him to be passive about something so important. He'd never been before.

"I guess I really meant it."

Her held tilted in a question. "Meant what?"

He smiled, slow and soft. "I'm done running. I want to stay put, for you."

She looked away. "I wouldn't trap you with a baby, Nick."

He recoiled in horror. "Kai!" He pulled her around to face him and lifted her chin. Stared steadily into her eyes and gave a stern shake of his head. "That isn't what I meant. At all. I'm glad—it's not something we have to think about right now, because we have enough going on as it is. And I would worry about you a lot. No doctors, coyotes around every corner, awful nightmares—I'd be a goddamn wreck."

He took a long breath. "I love you, Kai. I want you. I want to be with you. There are no traps here. There couldn't be. I know you keep saying we barely know each other, but—"

"No," she said and shook her head. "No, I have to stop saying that, because it's wrong. I feel like I've always known you. Like—my life before was just—steps along the way. To get here. With you."

His mouth quirked. "A gas station in rural Arkansas?"

She nodded gravely. "Exactly." Her lips twitched, and finally she grinned. "I would've said something, but then you didn't, so I don't know—I didn't. Anyway, I've had it about a year. I have really painful periods, and I hate the Pill, so…" She shrugged. "Lucky, I guess, because now I don't have to worry about either babies or tampons."

"How long—do they last?"

"Five years, give or take. But it can come out. I mean—obviously having a doctor remove it is the way you want to go, but you can do it yourself if you can find the strings."

"You know I'm available to assist you in any—"

"Nicholas!" Laughing, she pressed a hand to her face and shook her head. "I'm going to the car. You're impossible."

He gave an easy shrug. "But you love me."

She sighed. Grabbed his shirt to haul him close for a kiss that started out teasing, but turned hot and hungry when she started to pull away and he dragged her back. Their snacks tumbled to the floor, forgotten, as they pressed against each other. He spun her around so that her back was against the rack. Tugged down the strap of her tank top to drop sucking kisses on the swell of her tits.

She pulled him back up for more feverish kisses, and somehow he undid the button and zipper on her shorts and slid his hand into her panties. She bucked against his palm with a moan and he circled her clit hard and fast. No finesse, just need, hot and greedy and demanding.

He shrugged out of his suspenders while she unfastened his trousers. He boosted her onto the edge of a shelf and she kicked her shorts down to her ankles. She shoved his pants and underwear down and he yanked her panties aside and then he was inside her, one rough, deep thrust that sent junk food raining down around them. She gripped his shoulders, he held her hips, and their eyes stayed locked as he fucked her.

"Say it," he signed. He kissed her. Bit her lip and then soothed the spot with his tongue. "Say it, sweet girl."

"I love you," she said aloud. She tangled a hand in his hair. "I love you, Nicky, fuck that's good!"

They didn't speak after that. He pulled her bra down to bare a breast; she arched her back and he nipped and sucked her nipple. He concentrated on getting just the right angle and she wrapped herself around him and it wasn't long before she came, a furious little storm that left her dizzy. His orgasm followed seconds after hers, triggered by the feel of her squeezing around his cock and the filthy things she mouthed through her climax.

They collapsed against each other, panting, until her head fell back on a laugh.

"Well that was a first," she said. "I think a quick and dirty sex in unusual places kink might be awakening in me."

"We should've gone back to the candy store." He offered a sly grin. "And I'm pretty sure I felt the strings."

She giggled and shoved at his shoulder. "Move, you goof. I have to see if I can still walk."

He gave her the handkerchief from his back pocket so she could clean up, then carefully helped her stand. "Good? Not gonna topple?"

"I think I'm okay. You?"

He got his clothes back into place and patted himself up and down. "Yep, it all checks out."

"Smartass," she said with a snort. She pulled her shorts up and fixed her bra. "I was going to the car, wasn't I?"

"Guess you got distracted."

"Guess I did." She wrapped an arm around his waist and kissed him, long and soft and slow. "I do love you, Nick."

"I know. I love you too." He kissed her shoulder. She had some freckles there from the sun, despite her generous use of sunscreen. He thought they looked delicious, like sprinkles of cinnamon, and he wanted to taste every one.

That was maybe a sentiment best expressed at some other time.

"Go on," he said. "I'll get this stuff and meet you out there."

"Okay," she said. "Grab me a Milky Way Dark, will you? I'm suddenly having—cravings—like maybe for pickles? And ice cream?"

He rolled his eyes and threw a snack size bag of pretzels at her. "Shut up and go away. You're as evil as you are sexy. And you hate pickles!"

She grinned, caught the pretzels, and tossed them back. "I'm going. But I meant it about the Milky Way!" She skipped out the door and to the car. Shivered with remembered pleasure at the slight pain between her thighs.

Eventually they'd meet some other people and they'd have to stop fucking like horny bunnies, but in the meantime it wasn't a bad way to live at the end of the world.

I had to make up for so long with no smut!