WARNINGS: NSFW, Sex, Sexual Themes, Sexual Situations, Language

A/N: I'm still not sure I want to post this, since I said there would be no more sex-stuff, but I'm proud of the writing in it. (-_-;) The sex isn't really the main part, but it is a major focus; basically, it's porn with a plot. It's also REALLY long, even if it's not finished and likely never will be finished.

Natalie nervously chewed on her lower lip as she was left behind in the small, three room, apartment-like housing facility, and locked in. The place was simply furnished and well-stocked, though there was nothing for entertainment. Not that she was surprised about that, given what she was there for. It all fit into the program she'd been born in to.

No, what made her nervous were all the little details she found in the space that confirmed what she already knew: the large bed meant for two, the two chairs at the dining table, the love seat, the two sinks in the sole bathroom. All of it pointed to the fact that she was about to meet her chosen partner who would be her mated match, her only real contact, her lover... and the sire of any and all of her children... for the first time in her life. He would have been carefully selected from a stock of breeding males to best enhance humanity's genetics, just as she had been one of the chosen stock from the breeding females.

It was so much easier to think of everything in terms of genetic progress and animal husbandry, rather than two humans being forced to fuck. Both were the same, in essence, anyway. Not that it quelled her nerves at all.

He would probably be passably okay to look at, at the very least. Attractive features were sought after and selected in all breeding stock, while deformities and displeasing traits were weeded out. But behavior and compatibility of personalities weren't taken into consideration when pairing the stock off, and she'd heard horror stories from some of the older females sent to train them in what was to be expected. What if he was crude and mean? What if he was boring and only wanted to eat, breed, and sleep? What if he was condescending, or expected her to do everything he asked and everything around their small home? What if he was physically violent? Reproduction was expected of them, and generally consenting, but not always. What if he tore into her like some sort of starved, sex-crazed animal? He'd be stronger than her for sure. She'd been selected for magical talent, which meant her partner would be physically strong in hopes of a balanced-positive offspring. But while her magic was dampened by inhibitors in the walls, he would be free to use his full strength. There would be no chance in fighting back.

A beeping sound broke through Natalie's anxious thoughts, signaling that he was here. The door swung open and clicked shut followed by a quiet sigh, out of sight down the tiny hall before the kitchen-dining-seating area. Natalie braced herself as quiet footsteps came down the hall, and she held her breath as he rounded the corner only to freeze when their eyes met—cerulean to sapphire—both sets wide with unease, nerves, and scrutiny.

He was tall—taller than her by more than a head—and broad shouldered. His hair was long and golden blond, falling past his shoulders with bangs covering his forehead and half of his large, sapphire eyes. Pale red lips were partially parted, only slightly darker than his lightly tan skin, and she could just see white teeth. A firm jaw and straight nose offset the otherwise feminine features of his face. His clothing was one of three standard male garbs, consisting of a black shirt with long sleeves and dark gray pants.

Natalie shook herself out of her stupor when she saw a light flush rising on his cheeks, and realized that she'd been staring. Her own cheeks heated with embarrassment as she pulled her cerulean eyes to the side. "Nice to meet you," she whispered, feeling awkward. "My name's Natalie."

"Matt," he slowly replied in a quiet tenor. "Nice to meet you, too."

His eyes had returned to staring at Natalie as soon as he was sure she wouldn't notice. She was beautiful, even if the drab clothing she wore did nothing to accentuate her lovely hourglass shape. Her cheekbones were high, but not overly prominent, giving her a sort of regal beauty. A splash of freckles dotted the bridge of her nose, which was just slightly upturned. Her eyes were a little lighter of blue than his own, but glittered in the light with an ever so slight green hue around the pupils, and were almond shaped. Her lips were full and a soft pink, though he noted that she'd been chewing on them, as they were a little swollen. He coughed as he tore his gaze away from the lips that he suddenly and desperately wanted to kiss, and back up to her eyes.

When he'd been told he was to be paired off with a magic adept, he'd expected a reedy woman with a pronounced head and buggy eyes—or something like that, anyway. Never had he imagined that he'd be sent to a goddess among men. He wished he looked half as good as she did. Now he just hoped she wouldn't make him feel like a blundering, ham-handed idiot. His hands tucked behind his back self-consciously, as though she'd notice how much bigger they were than hers and would start making unfavorable conclusions.

"So, um, do you want to eat?" he asked for lack of anything else to say.

Natalie shrugged, clearly having no idea how to handle things now, either. How did one address the elephant in the room that was what they were expected to be doing? Her eyes drifted across the room, taking in the lack of anything to do again, and her flush increased. Yup. The only entertainment around involved the two of them with zero clothes on, and zero distance between them. Not that he looked inclined to start ravishing her right away. How rapidly her thoughts had changed so that she now felt a faint twinge of disappointment race through her at the thought. She wondered if he thought she wasn't pretty enough to jump right into that.

Or, maybe, she mused as she caught him staring at her and he flushed and tore his eyes away, maybe he was just as shy as she was. If that was the case, then dinner would be as fine a way to break the ice as anything else available. They could talk, connect, and maybe not feel like complete strangers boning for giggles.

"Sure, let's do dinner," Natalie agreed as she turned her eyes to the small kitchen corner.

Everything for two people was crammed into the space, from a small stove and oven, to a freezer-fridge combination and a microwave. The sink was set just to the side of a small dishwasher, and she supposed the cabinets held their dishes and utensils. There was only a tiny space available for actually preparing food, however, she noted with a frown. They'd have to take turns making meals—assuming Matt could cook at all, of course.

"Well, here goes nothing," Natalie murmured under her breath as she began poking through the cabinets and fridge to take stock and decide what they'd be eating.

Matt hovered a short distance away, unsure of what he should be doing. His purpose was quickly made clear when he saw Natalie open a cabinet filled with glasses, plates, and bowls before she moved on in her search to find the spices, and he stepped forwards to retrieve a few dishes.

"I'll set the table," he offered, earning him a smile from Natalie that made his heart skip a beat.

How strange, to be feeling something like that for a woman he'd only known for fifteen minutes. Maybe he was just a sucker for pretty women. Or maybe it was a sign that things would be okay. Or that this was destined to be. Or...

...Or maybe he should quit thinking so much, and actually set the table.

The next ten minutes passed quietly, filled with the sounds of clinking dishes, spoons scraping on pots and bowls, and bubbling water. Ten minutes after that, and they were seated across from each other with plates of spaghetti and a warmed jar of sauce. They ate in silence for a little while, both stealing glances at one another when they thought the other person wasn't looking.

Finally, Natalie broke the silence. "What's your favorite color?"

Matt blinked in surprise with a forkful of spaghetti hanging out of his mouth at the sudden question. He slurped up the food and swallowed it before answering, "Blue, like my eyes. Or maybe gold. Both, I guess. Yours?"

"I've always liked red," Natalie admitted as she twirled her fork on her plate. Her next words were muffled around a mouthful of food as she added, "I had a red blanket that was my favorite for years until it wore through and they disposed of it. Plus red reminds me of my fire-magic lessons before they cut me off from my mana."

Matt nodded. "There was this sword with an awesome golden hilt hanging on the wall of the instructors' dojo. I, uh... borrowed... it for a little while and it swung like a dream. I think it's why I like the color gold so much."

"So you can use a sword?" Natalie asked, leaning forwards in curiosity. "I've never seen someone use a sword before."

"I'll show you someday," Matt promised. His face fell as he glanced around their small quarters and quietly added, "Assuming we're ever allowed out of here. I don't like being trapped."

Natalie nodded somberly. "Me, either. Maybe a fantastical group opposing compounds like this one will come along and we'll be set free." Her words were sarcastic, but her tone was wistfully hopeful. "What would you do if you were free?"

Matt grinned and his eyes gleamed with excitement. "I'd gather the coolest swords that could be found and I'd use them to beat up the bad guys and find lots of gold!"

Natalie smiled at his almost childish enthusiasm. She leaned back in thought when his eyes expectantly gleamed and he gestured with his fork for what she would do. "Let's see..." she hummed thoughtfully before her eyes brightened. "I'd learn all I could about magic and no one would ever be able to force me to do anything I didn't want to do! And I'd get a cat. I like cats."

Matt laughed, though the sound was a little forced. "Things you're forced to do... Including me?"

Natalie's cheeks flushed and she awkwardly opened her mouth to refuse his claim, but shut it again a few seconds later without a sound. Several moments passed in silence before she mumbled. "It's nothing personal, Matt. You're a handsome guy, and you seem pretty nice, but... I don't think either of us would have chosen to do this if we had the choice. I mean, all I really know about you is that your favorite colors are blue and gold, you like swords, and you hate being trapped. Not exactly life-long bond material, you know?"

Matt relaxed slightly even as he nodded. "True. Do you want to wait before... that? We could spend a few days just getting to know each other so that we won't feel like near-complete strangers when the time comes?"

A warm smile graced Natalie's lips at his generous offer. To think she'd ever thought he would be mean and forceful. "I'm not sure it'll make much difference either way, but if you don't mind, I'd like to get to know you better, first."

Matt blew out a sigh of relief. "Good, because so do I." He turned his eyes back to his food and a light of mischievous humor lit them. "First thing to discover... Who can clear their plate the fastest!"

Natalie's laugh rang through the space alongside his before both were muffled as they began rapidly shoving spaghetti in their mouths. Matt beat Natalie handily, even stealing some of hers from her plate despite her laughing efforts to stop him. By the end, both their faces were messy from splattered sauce and their cheeks were pink from laughter. Cleanup of the dishes was a simple task as they had no leftovers and had a dishwasher, and they took turns in the bathroom washing up before meeting again beside the bed.

Matt tugged his shirt off and the sheets back before flopping onto the right side of the mattress, then turned to face the wall, giving Natalie privacy to change into a nightgown. He felt her settle onto the opposite side of the bed and slide under the sheets. There were a few rustles as they got comfortable before they let out matching sighs.

"Goodnight, Matt."

"G'night, Natalie."

Sleep didn't come easily for either of them, however. Despite hitting it off well together, neither one was comfortable sharing the same bed. But the only other option was for one of them to squeeze onto the tiny love seat—which only Natalie would be physically able to do—and there were no extra blankets in the space, and it was just a little too cool to comfortably sleep without blankets.

Still, both eventually managed to drift off, and they fell into dreamless sleeps. During the night, Matt began rolling himself into the blankets, stealing them from Natalie, who shivered in her sleep. Her hand groped around for a corner of the sheets and yanked on them when she found them, stealing back enough to curl up under, and she sank a little closer to the source of warmth that came with the blanket. A half hour later, and the process was repeated... and repeated again... and again... until they were flush against each other and there was no more struggle. Matt had the blankets, as did Natalie, and they both let out unaware sighs of content at the newly acquired space heaters they'd found in each other. The rest of the night passed in peace.

Matt woke first to the embarrassing, yet strangely comfortable, situation of having Natalie's cheek pressed against his chest and his arm over her back. He blinked in stupefaction at the fact, knowing he'd been careful to leave as much space between them as possible last night. The common sense side of his brain told him to let her go before she woke up and got mad at him. The sleepily-content, it's-too-early-for-moving, side of his brain told him she was warm, and that it was a mutual embrace since she had her own arm over his waist, too. The latter side won, and he shut his sleepy eyes and tucked his face into her hair, letting her faint vanilla scent and comfortable warmth lull him back to sleep. She'd definitely notice that it was mutual when she woke up, right?

Sort of.

Natalie came awake to find that Matt was asleep and that they were definitely not on opposite sides of the bed. Her first response was to squeak and try to break away from him, only to find that his grip over her waist tightened and he mumbled in protest before snuggling even closer. The actions, although making it clear she wasn't escaping, caused her to giggle. She wouldn't have pegged him last night as a cuddler. Then she amended the thought as she noticed her arm was over his own waist. She never would have pegged herself for a cuddler, either.

"It's kinda nice, really," she mused to herself as she let her eyes half shut and studied his sleeping expression. A small smile ghosted at his lips when she quit trying to break away, and he mumbled something that sounded vaguely like 'muffins'. "He's cute when he's asleep."

Natalie didn't know how long she lay there for, waiting for Matt to wake up while watching his face. An hour could have passed, or more, but she was content to lie there until he woke up. Her heart was beating a little fast and she had a light blush still staining her cheeks, but she was happy in a way she couldn't recall feeling before.

"Natalie...?" Matt suddenly mumbled.

His eyes were sleepily blinking in confusion at her, clearly not entirely awake, and his arm remained holding her close. It was an intimate position, not that he was really thinking of that. Not until she moved to bring her face towards his.

Natalie slid her lips over Matt's. The affection seemed entirely natural to do—welcome, even. Morning was a dangerous time for her desires in the first place, and he was a beautiful sight to wake up to, and all hers. Matt had stiffened slightly at first, but quickly relaxed again as a small moan rumbled from his throat and he began kissing back. The hand resting against her lower back rose up to tangle in her hair and press her closer as his mouth opened to let his tongue slide across her lips. An eager tongue darted out to lick at his before teasingly retreating, and he followed it into her mouth. She tasted sweet and tangy, like a fruity dessert.

"Strawberries," Matt muzzily decided as he languidly traced the inside of Natalie's mouth.

His head tilted for a better angle as he sought more of her to taste while his head spun. A lack of air that forced both of them to part sooner than either of them wanted. Natalie's eyes were dark from excitement when they fluttered open to look up at the fierce gaze staring down at her. He was propped up over her face by his arms while his legs remained off to one side, and his sleep-tangled hair was pushed over one shoulder. When they had moved, she had no idea, but she couldn't deny a pleasant heat coiling in her core at the way Matt's eyes darkened as he stared at her.

Without warning, Matt ducked back in for another kiss, hungrily demanding entrance back into her mouth. A muffled moan from Natalie granted him permission and his tongue frantically swirled around her own before gently rubbing against it. Arms wound around his neck, pulling him closer and pressing his bare chest flush against her covered one. A groan vibrated through her mouth at the contact, and the coil in her stomach drew a little tighter while her veins heated with desire.

A burning hand landed on her outer thigh, pushing the fabric of her nightdress up until stopping at her hip. Matt broke the kiss for more air as Natalie let out a breathless whine of disappointment. Now he was completely over her on all fours with one hand on her thigh. It took more effort to pull his mind together enough to speak than Matt was willing to admit. Even once he got his mind sort of on reason's side, his throat was tight enough to try and choke his words off. Still, he needed to know this before continuing.

"Just to be sure, we aren't waiting a few days?" he asked in a husky rasp.

"Change of plans," Natalie breathed back. The leg he wasn't holding moved to hook around his waist and pull him down against her core. "We've got all the time in the world to talk, right? But right now, I need you."

Matt's grin flashed in the dim light coming through the covered window. That was the answer he'd been hoping for. It was time to start figuring out what made Natalie's body tic. And for once, the idea didn't make him tighten up with nerves or start stuttering from embarrassment, and it didn't make him despair that this was all he had in his life now. Maybe it was because of the fact that she so obviously welcomed his touch, maybe it was just the arousal clouding his mind, or maybe it was just that near-instant affection and attraction he had for her. Whatever the reason, he was glad she was here with him, like this, now.

Lips found a spot to start exploring on Natalie's shoulder, and she tilted her head to grant him more room to play with. Every second more that he spent touching her fanned the flames beginning to boil her blood. The sensation of his mouth moved a little higher to her neck and she moaned as he found a sensitive spot just below her ear. Teeth gently nipped and nibbled on the spot followed by his tongue licking it, seeing what actions she liked the most. She could only guess how she would feel by the end if he was this meticulous in learning all of her body.

Now if only she could return the favor...

Her fingers hesitantly rose to brush up against Matt's chest and she felt him shiver at the contact. This was new ground for her too, but while Matt seemed to have taken to exploring like a duck took to water, she was unsure of where to go or what to do. A part of her had always dreaded this moment, resenting that all she would ever be was a breeding stock bitch. Yet somehow with Matt, she wanted to be and do more. She wanted to make him feel good like he was for her. She wanted this to be something they both enjoyed doing so that it wouldn't feel like some kind of chore they were being forced to do.

His lack of any kind of vocal or real physical response was discouraging, though. All that really changed as she traced his muscles and rubbed his nipples was that he swapped what side of her neck he was lathing attention on. Natalie bit her lower lip in a mixture of upset and a failed attempt to muffle another moan when he began sucking on her skin again. Her fingers pressed a little harder against him and she moved to his ribs.

Matt abruptly pulled away from her neck with a choked laugh. "Hey, don't tickle me!"

Natalie's cheeks flushed with embarrassment and tears welled in her eyes. Any and all feelings of arousal faded and she began looking for some way to escape. Matt was still over her, though, caging her in; the only way out would be to push him off. So she did.

A pair of hands shoving at his chest brought Matt's smile up short, and he quickly moved off of Natalie. His eyes were wide with confusion and concern as she rolled off the bed and darted out of the room without a word. A door shutting told him she'd fled to the bathroom. Everything had been going fine, so why would she want to leave now? Had he hurt her somehow? But she'd been moaning only moments before... Maybe he'd pushed her into sex and her mind had finally caught up? That was possible, he mused. He must have missed the signs while his own mind had been someplace else as he'd enjoyed her noises and taste and the feather light touches she'd been giving him. What if those touches had been the sign that she wanted to stop? Granted, rubbing his nipples was a confusing way to say she didn't want more. That couldn't be it, then.

So then what? Give her space, he supposed. Not that they had a lot of that to give. If he was allowed outside, then he'd leave in an instant to make her feel better, but procedure was that neither of them were granted permission to use other facilities until he'd gotten her pregnant. An apology maybe? It couldn't hurt to start there at least.

Matt stood off the bed and awkwardly glanced down at the tent he was pitching. That would have to go before he spoke with her. He considered working himself off, but Natalie was in the bathroom, so he wouldn't be able to wash away the evidence, and the kitchen sink was right out for sex play—not as long as they wanted to use it for food, anyway. A cold shower was also out, as was any kind of real physical exercise. That left willing it away.

He groaned in disappointment, but sat back down and focused his mind on anything and everything that disgusted him. Not on heavenly curves, or vanilla scent, or ripe strawberry taste, and definitely not on sweet moans and lustful words, or...

"Bad Matt," he scolded himself with a blush. "Quit thinking about Natalie like that." She wasn't ready and working himself further into sexual frustration wouldn't help either of them. Even if she looked perfect under him with her soft hair spilled across the sheets like wine...

And he was really going nowhere, wasn't he?

A different red-head popped into his mind—thankfully safe from sexual fantasies, too. Lance, his friend from the barracks, was definitely not anywhere on his to-do list. Even the thought of it made his skin crawl... and his crotch ache as he imagined Lance would probably kick him in the soft spot for even putting sex, Matt, and Lance into the same thought process. Matt snorted out a laugh at the thought of Lance's retribution. He hoped the other man had ended up with someone half as pretty as Natalie. Even if he could be a prickly bastard and he joked about sex and women all the time, Matt knew Lance was his friend, and bitter towards being made to do anything—even if the thing he was doing was a pretty woman.

He could almost hear Lance's glare burrowing into the back of his head for these thoughts. Still, his arousal also was gone, so it was time to apologize. Food would help that along. Everyone loved food, after all, right?

So Matt stood up again and dressed for the day, finding his clothes in the bottom two drawers of the single dresser he and Natalie were expected to share. He tossed his slightly soiled pants and underwear into the laundry basket in the small closet and finger combed his hair to lie mostly flat—whether the attempt to tame the hair was successful was impossible to know without a mirror, though. Still, it would do for now, and he quietly padded past the closed bathroom door.

"Pancakes," Matt decided aloud ten minutes later after he'd dug through their supplies. They had a box of pancake mix, after all, and a large frying pan. "Oo, there's even a small thing of syrup in here..."

Soon he was mixing the powder together in a bowl with a couple of eggs and some milk, and melting butter to grease the pan heating on the stove. Once the sizzling pan was hot enough, he carefully poured the batter into the pan to start the first pancake. While waiting for the food to cook, he poked around for some kind of sausage or bacon, but was disappointed to find none. Instead, he brought out a few more eggs to scramble and set them aside for later.

It didn't take long for the delicious smell of cooking food to fill the air. Matt hummed as he flipped his third pancake off the pan and onto the forming stack on a plate before adding more batter. He'd just finished the fourth and final one when he heard the bathroom door open and Natalie come down the hall. Neither of them said anything for the moment as Matt cracked the eggs into the pan and began cooking them.

Natalie stood in the short hall leading to the bedroom and bathroom, watching Matt cook. Her eyes were miserable as she realized how stupid she'd been while he'd managed to pull himself together enough to make breakfast. And he was making up two plates. At least that probably meant he wasn't mad at her. Still, she tensed when he finally turned the stove off and turned around to set their food down at the table before silently meeting her eyes. It didn't take long for her own eyes to guiltily drift to the side.

"Hungry?" he offered quietly.

Natalie nodded and all but slunk over to her chair. Matt said nothing as he drizzled syrup on his pancakes before sliding the container across the table for her. Breakfast was a quiet, tense affair.

"I'm sorry for pushing you," Matt suddenly said. He glanced up at Natalie before pulling his eyes back to his food. "I should have known better than to think you wanted that, yet, after you'd said you wanted to wait a few days."

The woman paused in pushing her remaining food around on her plate at his unexpected apology. Her eyes rose up to blink in confusion at Matt, who was now studiously avoiding her gaze. "It wasn't your fault," she murmured. "I just... didn't know what to do."

"Didn't know what to do?" Matt repeated in confusion.

Natalie's blush was back as she ducked her head and mumbled. "I didn't know how to make you feel as good as you were making me feel. I wasn't trying to tickle you."

And just like that, Matt's shoulders relaxed as realization washed over him. It was sort of his fault, but not in the way that he had imagined. Laughing was definitely the wrong thing to do here, just as it had been earlier, but he really wanted to laugh in relief. "I promise I was feeling plenty good. My sides are just sensitive is all. You couldn't have known, but now you do."

"You were so... quiet... though," Natalie pressed even as her blush grew darker. "I didn't think you were enjoying it at all. And I was being so loud..."

That caused a blush to rise on Matt's cheeks both from embarrassment and at the image from that morning she conjured up. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and squeaked, "I guess I'm just not a very vocal lover? I was definitely enjoying you- it- the moment. And, um..." His cheeks were burning as he watched Natalie arch an amused brow at his attempt to recover from the obvious admittance of lust for her. This situation needed something else to smooth it over, and so he blurted out, "You were just so hot when you were-"

His hand slapped over his face at the completely unhelpful addition. "Stupid mouth, we're trying to not look like an idiot after her boobs," he mentally growled at himself. His other hand rose up to help hide his face as he found himself imagining what her boobs looked and felt like. "Alright, so maybe I am an idiot who might partially be after her boobs, but she doesn't need to know that! Besides, she deserves a better relationship than that!"

Natalie giggled as she watched Matt slouch down in his chair with his face hidden by his hands. Yeah, she'd scored big time in the life partner department. This man was the most endearing, adorable, awkward and lovable person she'd ever met. And he'd unconsciously settled a number of her biggest fears about her appearance and performance.

"I'm glad you think I'm hot," Natalie teased. "You're pretty sexy yourself."

"Stop..." Matt moaned as he shoved his plate away to hide his face in his arms on the table.

Natalie took pity on him and shoved the last bit of her scrambled eggs into her mouth. "The food was excellent, Matt. Thank you."

Finally, a safe topic. "We were taught to make simple foods," he admitted. "I only really like making the breakfast stuff, though. Even that spaghetti last night was way better than any of my attempts at cooking dinner foods. But we don't have any bacon! How the hell can they stick us in a tiny house with no bacon?!"

Natalie leaned her cheek on one hand as she watched Matt pout about the lack of available bacon before he began all but rambling, seemingly at random, about whatever came to his mind. So maybe all she knew about him was that his favorite colors were gold and blue, that he liked swords, breakfast, and bacon, and that he hated being trapped, and was a cuddler in bed. He was a sweet, cheerful young man who was already looking out for her, even when she was being confusing, and thought she was beautiful. And she was learning more about him all the time as she added cats to the growing list of things she knew he liked, and broccoli to the list of things he hated, curtesy of Matt's continued talking.

And in that moment, Natalie knew she would do anything and everything in her power to set him free from this life. A person as good and kind as Matt could only do the world good. And just maybe he'd take her with him when he left. Now, how to get him out... Already different plans were swimming through her mind as she rapidly weighed what could be done or not before settling on the most likely one.

"...Natalie?"

The call of her name started Natalie out of her thoughts and she realized that she'd been staring at him. Her face broke into a smile at his obvious concern for her, which he quickly returned.

"Sorry, just thinking," Natalie promised as she stood up to begin clearing the table. She shook her head when he moved to help, and pushed him back down into his chair. "No, no, you made the meal, so I'll clean it up."

Matt's smile softened as he nodded and settled back down to watch Natalie quickly and efficiently stack the dirty plates. She was smiling as she worked, and the sight filled him with a warm, happy feeling. She was delicate and graceful, but there was a sort of underlying strength to her that he was really beginning to appreciate. After all, how many people would be so open to admitting what had bugged them during such an intimate act as foreplay—especially when that foreplay had ended on such a sour note? He'd been fully willing to take the blame for what had gone wrong, but she'd refused to let it lie at that and instead helped them work towards the truth. And both of them felt much better for it, he could tell. She'd lost the hesitant air that had been about her for most of the time since he'd met her the night before, and seemed content and happy.

"I'm glad the morning turned out the way it did," Matt suddenly said aloud.

Natalie glanced over her shoulder from where she was just finishing stacking the dishes in the washer. "Yeah?" she replied, though her eyes told him she knew what he meant.

"Yeah, this was much better for us," Matt firmly stated as he gestured between them.

"Well then let's take this slow," Natalie decided. It worked for her own plan, too. Plus, she was looking forwards to spending more time just being around Matt.

And so the rest of the day and several days after were spent sitting on the love seat or lying in bed together, just getting to know one another. Both people knew this tender stage wouldn't last long, either because they would grow bored of just talking, or because the overseers would start demanding they copulate, but for the moment they were happy. Natalie had laughed at Matt's numerous stories from the barracks and how much trouble he'd gotten into and up to with his friend, Lance. Her own stories were boring by comparison, involving rigorous magic study and practice and a strict code for behavior the women were expected to follow.

"Wow," Matt murmured as Natalie described the heavy social conditioning and punishments imposed on the women, including being singled out for public humiliation, corporeal punishments, being assigned to the worst chores, and, in more extreme cases, solitary confinement. "I mean, we were told our partners were going to be fairly submissive, but I didn't realize that was because they make you women behave that way. Although, you don't exactly act like a door mat."

Natalie shrugged with a glum expression. "Well, it worked better on some than on others. I and a few others got tossed into solitary several times for refusing to participate in the lectures on 'how to please my man', among other things." She grinned up at Matt and added, "Maybe I should have paid attention to that section a little more, though, eh?"

Matt laughed and tossed an arm around her shoulders to give them a squeeze. "Maybe, but it all worked out for the best. I've never even heard of solitary confinement, though. The men were usually left to sort their own problems out, after all. What was it like?"

Natalie's eyes darkened as her smile faded and she turned her face forwards again. "They lock you in a tiny room all by yourself with nothing in it but a toilet, and leave you there for varying amounts of time from a few hours to a few days. The lights never go off, the temperature is too cold to be comfortable, and there's nothing to do to distract yourself. It's a kind of deprivation torture."

Matt's brow furrowed and his arm tightened around Natalie as she shivered from the memories. "That's awful... I can't imagine it's good for your health, either."

"Relatively speaking, it wasn't so bad for me," Natalie murmured. "I'm a mage, so meditation was something I practiced and was comfortable with, and I did that whenever I got thrown in. The result was that solitary never really had much of an effect on me. Some of the other women, though... they'd start screaming to be let out after a day or two, and they were never quite the same afterwards. Rumors were always flying around that some of the women who were in for a long time suicided. The whispers were never confirmed, but... well, I never thought a human could sound so broken before I heard them scream. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them did choose death to get out."

A kiss pressing against her temple started Natalie out of her dark memories and musings, and she raised a hand to brush away the tears that had begun to trickle down her cheeks. Matt returned her wobbly smile and shifted to let her cuddle down against his side. His fingers moved to run through her hair and she let out a shuddering sigh, fully relaxing.

"Sorry, that was pretty heavy to suddenly lay on you," Natalie breathed. She felt Matt shake his head.

"It's fine. You probably needed to get that out, anyway. I'm sorry you had to suffer through it." He rested his cheek against her hair and swore in a quiet but firm voice, "Nothing like that will ever happen to you again. Not while I'm here."

"Thank you..." Natalie whispered as she shut her eyes.

Before long, her breathing grew heavy and evened out as she drifted off to sleep against his side. And when she woke up, she was lying in their bed with Matt curled behind her, holding her close. She flushed slightly as she discovered his hand possessively holding one of her breasts, but at the same time was delighted at the touch. He likely didn't even know he was doing it, either. Still, she tucked her head back to worm her way under his chin and smiled in content. Who knew how and when normal people were supposed to love, but she wouldn't trade this for the world.

"Comfy?" Matt's husky voice suddenly asked.

Natalie started and choked out a moan as he kneaded her breast through the fabric of her shirt. So much for him being asleep. Or maybe he'd woken up at her movements. Either way, she wanted more, and he seemed just as eager to deliver as he had the last time.

In a twist of movement, he had rolled onto his back, pulling her up to rest on his chest and stomach while his hand continued molding her breast. His other hand trailed over her hip to grasp the inside of her thigh, dangerously close to her covered core, and she arched into his touch with another moan, louder than before.

The noise seemed to embolden Matt, who's fingers began to grow more eager, pressing and rubbing anywhere they landed, and tugging at her clothes. She could feel his erection pressing into her lower back, and she wriggled against it, trying to arouse him further. It worked, and in a flash he had her pinned to the bed with her shirt torn clean off. She gazed up at him with wanton eyes, watching as he took in her naked chest for several moments, admiring her breasts. The hunger in his eyes made her own hunger for him grow, and she arched with another moan to encourage him to continue. His lips descended on her breasts, kissing a blazing path across her skin to a nipple which he fiercely sucked into his mouth to tease with his tongue. His fingers toyed with the neglected nipple, rolling and lightly pinching it before he licked and kissed his way across the valley between her boobs to swap treatments.

Natalie's hands entangled in his hair, pushing him down into her chest as she arched up into his mouth. She needed more contact, needed more from him, and soon her fingers were pulling at his pants, trying to get her message across. Unfortunately, she hadn't factored in that Matt needed to quit his attentions on her chest to remove his and her pants, and she let out a disapproving whine when he pulled away. But then he came back, this time with feather light touches on her clit that had her all but wailing for more. She bucked into his fingers, grinding herself on his hand before he pulled it away to let her grind on his cock. And the moan and thrust back that action got her was more than enough incentive to do it again.

Neither one was expecting it when it happened between their feverish grinds, touches, and moans, but suddenly, Matt slid into Natalie's core. The woman arched with a sharp cry while Matt pressed his forehead into her shoulder with a muffled, groaning curse. She was almost painfully tight around him, and burning hot, and he was sure that if he moved even an inch, then he'd come on the spot. A whimper from Natalie easily distracted him, however.

"Are you okay?" Matt gasped out as he carefully peeled himself off her body while keeping his hips in place.

Natalie's face was pinched from pain and surprise and her eyes were squeezed shut. Still, she nodded her head and managed to say, "I just wasn't ready for it, is all. Give me a minute."

"That makes two of us," Matt joked with a tight laugh. "Next time, we plan the entrance."

Natalie's lips quirked in a smile. "Jokes now of all times? Really?"

"I'm a funny guy."

That earned him one heated eye peeling open to glare in amusement at him. "No, you're a dummy who doesn't even know where his dick is until it's too late," she dryly informed him, though her amused smile took any sting out of her words.

The banter had the added effect of helping her relax, and she carefully canted her hips up against his. The friction had Matt's head dropping back to her shoulder with another moaned curse, and a flash of heat racing through her body again. She moaned as she bucked up with more force, cajoling him into finally thrusting. The first one stole Natalie's breath away. The second one gave her breath back to gasp. The third and all the rest had her moaning and crying out.

Matt was groaning as he dug his fingers into her hips to pull her into his thrusts. His eyes drank in the sight of her thrashing underneath him, a vision of wanton lust and desire. And when he felt her inner walls shudder around his cock in the beginning of a climax, he hauled her up into his arms to seal their lips together and swallowed her cries of release before breaking the connection to cry out his own. His hips moved in uneven, jarring thrusts as he spilled his seed deep inside of her body.

Natalie's dazed pants and moans were briefly broken by a huff when Matt collapsed on top of her. She could feel him twitching in her core as he pumped the last of his seed into her. His heated breath washed across her chest as he gasped for air and she could feel his heart thundering behind his ribs. That had been the most amazing thing she'd ever been involved in. And when he finally rolled off of her and linked the fingers of his right hand through the fingers of her left and smiled a dazed smile at her, she felt loved—even if the ache of after-sex was setting in and she could feel their combined fluids slipping out of her.

"Would it be strange to say I love you?" she whispered.

Matt, who had been drifting off as exhaustion really hit, managed to peel his eyes open halfway. "Mm, love you, too," he mumbled with a tired smile.

He sluggishly helped kick the soiled top sheet off the bed and cuddled close to his lover under the lighter bottom sheet as their bodies cooled. It was the first time they purposefully cuddled in bed for sleep, and he felt a tender something slide into place in his heart as she brushed a kiss across his lips before settling down.

Natalie remained awake for a little longer after him, watching him sleep and rubbing her free fingers against her stomach. She was probably going to get pregnant from this, as the overseers would want. She and Matt would stay together for the pregnancy and be at it again after the child was born, if it was healthy. The thought was a daunting one. The pains of labor aside, she wasn't sure she was ready, or even wanted, to be a mother. Not that she'd have charge of the child for long. Children were moved to communal nurseries just a few weeks after birth to prevent bonding. Already a dormant maternal side of her was rebelling against the thought, though she had no choice in the matter.

Of course, she may not have gotten pregnant yet at all. They wouldn't know for sure for several weeks, or until the overseers hauled her off for a physical to check. So she should enjoy her life with Matt while she could and worry about the future when it came. Besides, being hauled away was part of the plan she'd concocted. Hopefully Matt, as equally eager for freedom as she was, could help, and maybe they could rally some more aid from his friend, Lance. It was uncommon for people to openly oppose and question the practices as she and they had. Most people accepted this as the norm, understanding that with so few humans left, offspring needed to be carefully planned and accounted for.

Not her. She wanted to see the sun of the world above—even if the land was ravaged and dangerous—not the simulated light that lit the caverns. She wanted to feel real wind, and see animals and monsters, and places like she'd read about in her books. She wanted to give Matt the chance to pursue his dream of collecting swords and gold. Besides, they'd never been given proof that there were no other colonies left outside. Surely the little pocket of survivors that she and Matt came from couldn't be the last? And even if they were, what kind of life was this, living in a giant cage like animals, concerned only about survival? And if the key to freedom and hope was linked to the results of what she and Matt had just done, then she'd have as many children as it took.

Natalie nodded firmly and shut her eyes as she nestled even closer to her lover. Everything would be worth the chance to set them free.

A loud knock woke the pair the next morning, and Matt jolted upright in surprise while Natalie yawned and stretched before blinking sleepily at him in confusion. In a flash, he remembered what they'd done last night, and his face split in a silly grin. Then a new voice echoed through their quarters, and he twisted to look at the door leading to the main room. Natalie sat up beside him, drawing the sheets up to cover her body with a resigned look in her eyes.

"Come on, Natalie, let's go!"

Matt shot a baffled look at Natalie as she muttered under her breath about the hour. "Go? Where are we going?"

"To see if we succeeded last night," Natalie murmured. She called back down the hall at a second, more impatient call of her name. "I'll be right out. Let me get dressed."

Matt's expression fell as he was forced to let Natalie out of bed. Her cheeks were already flushed from embarrassment and she looked depressed. Still, he stood up as well and followed her motions of dressing. They stepped out of the room to see two men standing by the table, their expectant eyes fixed on Natalie. Matt bristled at the stares and possessively slid closer to her.

"Matt stays here," one man ordered. "No unauthorized men in the women's ward."

"I go with her, or she doesn't go," Matt shot back before Natalie could respond.

Natalie laid a hand on his arm when she saw the guards' hands drift for their stun batons. "It'll be fine, Matt. I'll be right back, alright?" she soothed.

"Of course she will," the second guard growled. "It's protocol to return her here. Now back away from her, or else."

Natalie stood on tiptoe to press a kiss to Matt's cheek and gave him a final smile before turning to head out the door with the guards behind her. The barrier clicked shut and locked, leaving Matt alone in the space, staring forlornly at the door.

He didn't rouse from his stare for almost a half hour. A grumble from his stomach was what finally got him moving, and he made himself a breakfast of toast, eggs, and juice. It didn't taste as good by himself, and everything was too quiet. After that, he tried to patiently wait in the love seat for Natalie to come back. Never had one person meant so much to him, and she'd been pulled away with barely any explanation and no promise of when she'd be returned. Hours passed as he maintained a dedicated stare on the door.

And the hours slowly stacked until night came again, with no sign of Natalie's return. Matt had taken to nervously chewing on his thumbnail as he bounced his foot on the floor. More hours passed and the artificial light from the small window faded to emulate dusk, and he glumly realized she wasn't coming back today.

Returning to the bed without having her to share it with him just seemed wrong, so instead Matt showered and returned to the sofa with a spare comforter he found in their closet, and the pillow Natalie used. He made a mental note to remake their bed since he'd deposited their laundry and bed sheets into the chute to be cleaned. He wrapped the comforter around his shoulders and tucked himself into a corner of the sofa with Natalie's pillow in his arms.

"Lance would laugh his butt off if he saw me doing this," Matt sighed to himself, more to have some sort of noise than anything else. "Pining for one woman after less than twenty-four hours apart? Yeah, that would set him off."

He wondered how Lance was doing, what his partner looked and was like. He wondered where Natalie was and if she missed him as much as he was missing her. Had she gotten badly injured? That was unlikely. He'd have been retrieved and cycled on to a new partner if that were the case. It was a cold comfort, but comfort none the less, and he drifted off to an uneasy, uncomfortable sleep on the sofa.

Two more days passed like that and Matt felt like he was going to go insane with no news or company. He likened this isolation to the solitary confinement Natalie had spoken of. Would it really have killed them to let him know something about how she was doing or why she was taking so long? Then, miraculously, the door clicked open and there she was, looking irritated with her bodyguards, but healthy and alive.

Natalie's entire face lit up when she spied Matt staring at her and she darted forwards with a happy cry into his hug. Neither one paid any attention to the departure of the guards, wrapped up as they were in being reunited. Natalie had tears in her eyes and she felt Matt trembling as he clung to her with surprising desperation. Three days was far too long to not see each other.

"I missed you," Matt whispered. "I thought you were hurt, or never coming back, or... or..."

Natalie pulled back enough to press a sweet kiss to his lips. "I'd never leave you alone forever," she promised. "They took a long time on the tests because apparently implantation can take a few days to occur." Matt made a confused face at the term, and she explained, "Whether or not I'm pregnant or not can take a few days to discover."

"Oh..." Matt breathed. He vaguely remembered one of his teachers from the barracks talking about that during his education on reproduction. Then his face settled into a scowl. "If they know that, then why not wait until a few days have passed before checking? What's the point of making me worry so much?" Then her words sank in and he gazed at her, "Wait... so are you...?"

Natalie glanced to the side in tense shyness. "Congratulations?"

His face split into a bright smile, "Yeah, congratulations to you, too. You'll make a wonderful mom."

"I'm not so sure about that," Natalie uneasily laughed, unsure of how to point out that she wouldn't be in charge of any of their children. She stepped back, letting Matt's hands fall to her hips and smiled up at him. "We're allowed outside now that there's no chance of 'contamination in the breed'," her voice took on a sarcastic imitation of the documentary phrase before softening again. "Want to get washed up and then see if we can find your friend?"

Matt didn't need asking twice. In a flash, he was hauling Natalie to the bathroom for their shower, refusing to let go of her for even a second. His world was back to right with Natalie beside him and he couldn't wait to share a shower with her. Yet as soon as they were under the spray, Natalie's face fell into a seriousness he'd never seen from her before.

"Matt, I need to tell you something and you have to swear you won't tell anyone else, ever."

"Of course," Matt agreed in an instant, though his eyes had become uneasy. "What's up?"

"I'm not really pregnant."

It took a few moments before that sank in, and then Matt's jaw dropped. "Wait, what? Then why...?"

Natalie covered his lips with one hand while making an urgent gesture with the other to keep his voice down. "They're recording us at all times, but it's only audio in here, and they won't hear it over the water." At Matt's nod, she pulled away her hand and started explaining. "I've got a plan to get out of here, and I need my mana to do it. The only way I'll be able to use my magic is if we're allowed out of these quarters. If I were actually pregnant, I wouldn't want to use my mana for fear of harming the child, but I came up negative all three days. So I tampered with the reports to make them think I'm pregnant, even though I'm not."

"Oo, Natalie, you're a naughty girl," Matt play-scolded with an amused gleam in his eyes. "They would get so mad if they found out..."

"Which is why it needs to stay a secret," Natalie agreed with a smile. "The ruse won't last forever, not once I'm supposed to start showing, so we need to be out of here by then."

Matt frowned at that. "You've mentioned leaving twice now. How would we get out? And where would we go? They control the entire tunnel system, and the surface is a disaster area, right?"

Natalie shook her head with a grim expression. "I think the idea that the surface is wasteland is a complete lie. I've read some books that clearly talk about places you could never find underground. Huge jungles, giant mountain ranges, vast oceans, plains as far as the eye can see... There has to be something up there. Plus why would they guard the insides of all the supposed exits to the surface? Shouldn't they be guarding the outsides of the gates if there are potentially dangerous monsters out there?"

Matt's frown deepened. "You're right, that is odd..."

"And they're using a lot of scare tactics to keep people controlled down here. Like locking up women who speak out, or letting men beat each other into pulps as peer pressure... or keeping me away for several days and not letting you know what was happening. That was their way of subtly threatening that I'm theirs, not yours, and I can be taken away at any time, in case you tried to be a problem later."

In the next second, Matt was kissing Natalie, clutching her to him with their bodies pressed flush together. His eyes were fierce when he pulled back. "Well no more. I don't care what they say or try, you're staying with me, and that's that. So what's the plan to bust out?"

"We need your friend, Lance," Natalie started, though it was hard to get her thoughts back in order after the kiss. It didn't help that she could acutely feel his hands rubbing her skin. Whether he was cleaning her or pleasuring her, she had no idea.

"Lance? Why him? I mean, he'd probably love to get out of here, and I'd be really happy to take him with us, but..." His fingers continued to massage her sides, both to slick them with soap and to try and make her break down into pleading for more.

"One of, ah, one of your stories..." Natalie managed to get out between moans. "He... fried the security... camera in your room? Oh, gods, Matt, stop it..."

Matt merely chuckled as he leaned forwards to nibble on her wet ear. "Go on," he purred without a hint of apology.

But Natalie had had enough of his teasing. She reached out, wrapped her fingers around his cock, and tugged on it. As she'd hoped, the motion had Matt pressing her up against the cool tile of the shower wall. His cock slid into her body to immediately begin a brutal pace, forcing her feet off the floor every few thrusts. Natalie looped her arms around his neck and arched with a cry of delight, loving every second of the sex.

Yet for some reason, Matt stopped and pulled out just as she was about to climax.

"Mattt..." Natalie whined. "Why'd you stop?"

"Do you want to actually get pregnant?" Matt asked pointedly.

She might have been flattered at his care and remembering that risk, if he hadn't already been too late and denied her wild pleasure. Instead, she scowled at him and turned her back to reach for the soap.

"For your information, I'm protected, now," Natalie huffed. "You couldn't get me pregnant if you fucked me all night, and never mind that the 'pulling out' idea is complete bologna. Did you sleep through your sex-ed class?"

Matt didn't hear her grumbled complaints past the first couple of sentences. Instead, his blood roared at the idea of pounding into her nonstop for hours. He'd never manage that long, of course, but he'd be damned if he didn't try.

"All night? I like the sound of that..."

"Not anymore, you don't," Natalie told him blandly. She shot a grumpy look at him over her shoulder. "You get to stew and think about what you did for the rest of the night."

"Or didn't do," Matt muttered under his breath. He fixed a sour look on Natalie's back when she ignored him. "I was just looking out for you. Why punish me for that?"

"I'm not punishing you, I'm pointing out that I don't need you making my decisions for me," Natalie shot back coolly as she shampooed her hair. "I'm perfectly aware of the risks of having unprotected sex, and it's an insult to insinuate that I don't know or don't care."

"But I wasn't thinking anything like that!" Matt protested. "You're not being fair."

Natalie snorted at his complaint before saying. "Life isn't really all that fair, Matt."

His eyes narrowed in frustration and anger at her blasé dismissal before he reigned himself in. She'd just gotten back, after all, and he didn't want to fight with her. Besides, it was her body, and if she didn't want to share it, then that was her choice. Even if it meant she'd brought the count for blue-balling him up to two, and even if her getting pregnant from his kid was technically his problem, too.

Or maybe this was a sign that she was bored of him? Could that really happen that fast? She'd seemed so happy to see him when she'd walked in...

Somewhere in his musings, he'd finished washing and had dried himself off. Natalie had remained silent as well, and soon they were sitting across the table from each other with simple sandwiches in hand.

"...So what did you need Lance for specifically?" Matt finally asked in a low tone.

"It's not important right now," Natalie calmly replied. "We can talk it over with him later." Her eyes slid meaningfully up to the tiny camera in the corner of the room.

Matt nodded imperceptibly as he said, "It'll be cool to see him again after so long. It's been almost two years, now."

"Two years? You talked about him like you'd only just been split up." Natalie hoped that didn't mean Lance wouldn't care to help.

"Nah, he got paired off sooner than me since I was the troublemaker. I wonder if he still goes to the shooting range? They used to haul the guys in the barracks down there once a week, and he always got super excited for it. Of course, he might have different interests now that he's a little more free."

Gods help them, Natalie prayed uneasily. She needed an expert in mischief-making, and Lance had already shown he could take out a security camera with little more than a razor blade and a flattened screw—and that had been when he was only eight. But if he hadn't bothered to go back and make contact with Matt, then maybe he wouldn't want to help... She'd just have to improvise if that happened. Matt certainly still deserved the surface far more than being stuck here.

"Well, let's go find him. If nothing else, it'll be nice to stretch our legs."

Matt nodded as he stood up and followed Natalie to the door. And once he had his boots on, he leaned over to press a kiss to Natalie's cheek, only to have her pull away with a warning look and a reiteration of her earlier demands. Matt withdrew with a frustrated and upset expression, but said nothing as he followed her out, and made extra pains to avoid even touching her. Misery lurked in his eyes as his earlier fears began to rise. Still, he said nothing.

The streets they walked through were carved out of stone, and worn from generations of feet using them. The ceiling of the massive cavern arched high over head with light coming from many hidden pockets in the stone and carefully reflected to appear almost entirely smooth and acted as their simulation day-night cycle. Lamps made from glowing crystals twinkled every few feet, already shining in the late afternoon light. There were small stores here and there for general goods and food, a pet store with cats, birds, and dogs in the windows, and a tavern that was just reaching peak serving hour. A fountain gurgled in the center of a circular square with a worn statue as its focal point of the person who'd founded and headed the building of the underground community. It had stood there for so long, however, that the finer features of his face had worn almost completely smooth. A small garden of glowing, but harmless fungus and other flora stretched around the base of the fountain with a couple of benches for people to rest on.

"So... shooting range first?" Natalie asked. She glanced back when Matt didn't respond only to see him watching his feet. "Matt? Is everything alright?"

"Sure."

The short and almost angry reply brought Natalie up short. "Do you want to do this tomorrow?" she offered hesitantly, unsure of what was wrong.

"No. It'll be nice to see him after so long. He's my best friend, and I've missed him." He didn't add that it would be nice to have someone be happy to see him, and wouldn't demand that their normal interactions were temporarily banned over ridiculous reasons. Lance could get really mad, sure, but he never did it without good reason.

Natalie still hesitated, but was forced to trot to keep up when Matt resumed walking ahead. Was the problem her refusing a kiss? Or maybe the entire issue from the shower in general? It had seemed fair to her, given that Matt didn't even realize he was making her decisions for her, so she needed to be blunt about the issue. Plus it was only for one night, but he was taking it very badly. Then again, hadn't she read somewhere that most men hated being told they couldn't have sex?

A cacophony of bullets being fired abruptly interrupted her thoughts, and she jumped slightly. Matt still plowed ahead, walking straight for a large building made of sheet metal. He pushed his way inside, pausing only long enough to ensure Natalie was still with him. Once inside, he gestured to a rack of earmuffs and picked one up to put on and waited for her to follow his lead. With their hearing properly muffled and protected, they stepped into the range proper to see a long line of men and women, bearing various kinds of firearms, lined up and taking shots. Matt's eyes were hopeful as he scanned across the shooters before brightening as he spied who he was looking for.

A tall man at the very far end of the range had a large rifle braced against his shoulder as he took rapid but careful aim. His face was thrown into stark relief as he fired and a wave of bullets showered forth. At the end of the volley, he propped his gun at his feet and peered at a target out of sight down the range, judging his accuracy and precision before pursing his lips and lifting his weapon to try again. His hair was just above shoulder length and a dark red, his skin was pale, and he had the lean build of a runner. His clothing was all black, he had a cold expression, and every shooter in the range knew better than to get close and pester him.

Not that that stopped Matt and Natalie from traipsing up to him to wait for him to finish as he fired another round. Natalie's eyes widened in surprise at the impressive level of shooting with an automatic rifle. His bullets had some scatter to them, of course, but for the most part they stayed in the center ring and bullseye. Still, he seemed disgusted with his performance and moved to raise his gun again, until Matt tapped his shoulder.

Lance's shoulders heaved in a long-suffering sigh that they couldn't hear before he flipped the safety on on his rifle before he set it down. Then he craned his neck to scowl at whoever was pestering him, only to have instant recognition widen his eyes before a rare smile spread on his face. He cheerfully returned the fist-bump gesture Matt offered before making vague gestures that he'd be out right away. His eyes glanced curiously at Natalie, but he didn't seem overly surprised to see her. It was likely fairly obvious to anyone just who and what she was to Matt. So he merely nodded to her before turning the opposite way to stash his weapon in a locker while the pair headed back out.

Though none of them had really noticed, the other shooters had paused in their practice to stare at the exchange, having never seen Lance greet anyone that readily and happily. Anyone aside from his partner, anyway. Still, a glare from him as he passed to follow his guests had them turning back to their targets, and the phenomena was quickly forgotten.

"Well, well, if it isn't the doofus," Lance smirked as he stepped into the lobby area to greet Matt properly. "How's life been treating you?"

"Probably better than it has you, jerk," Matt fondly replied. His smile widened as he added, "It's great to see you again."

"I suppose two years is about the limit on my escape from you," Lance mock-sighed. His eyes turned to Natalie and he added, "He got lucky, I see. What's your name?"

Natalie started at actually being addressed directly. Typically, the female partners were introduced by the male, seen and not heard, or generally kept out of sight and mind. The egalitarian greeting, despite his and Matt's strange but admittedly fond interactions, simply reinforced what Matt had told her of him.

"Natalie, Matt's partner, as you've probably guessed. We've been paired for a little over three weeks."

"Only three weeks and you've already got one past the goalie? And you called me a perv," Lance joked.

His smile faded some when Matt merely shrugged and didn't reply. If Matt was being quiet, and wasn't in the process of eating or sleeping, then something was probably wrong, and if he followed to past form, then asking directly wouldn't yield any answers. If there was anything Lance knew about Matt, it was that the blond was excellent with other peoples' problems, but had no clue how to properly express his own, and would bend over backwards to accommodate everyone but himself. The behavior had earned him a lot of friends back in the day, and had made him an excellent mediator for fights and arguments not involving him, but it frequently made him miserable until someone directly—whether on purpose or by accident—pointed out what his issue was. Then he quickly righted his views and carried on as cheerful as always.

Lance had those thoughts in about half a second and he glanced at Natalie as he assumed she was likely related to the problem. Matt couldn't have been loose from initial confinement for long, or they would have met up already. That meant his only real contact would have been with Natalie, who likely had no clue what she'd done, if she was even aware that something was wrong. Still, he cleared his throat and changed topics.

"Come on, I want Anna to meet you," Lance offered with a half smile. "She'll kill me if I come back and tell her I ran into you, but didn't bring you by."

"So her name's Anna, huh?" Matt asked, coming back out of his shell. "How's it been with her? What's she like?"

"A stubborn pain in the butt, but I love her for it," Lance replied with a fond and gentle gleam in his eyes. "We had a rocky start, but things are going smoothly now. I wouldn't trade her for the world."

"Glad to hear it," Matt stated, though Lance detected a subtle, glum undertone to his voice.

He decided to press on that.

"How've things been for you two? I realize it's only been a couple of weeks, but are either you thinking you'll have to throttle the other? Outside of bedroom fun, of course."

"You throttle your lover?" Natalie asked with trepidation.

"Don't take him too seriously, Natalie. He's really a big softy to the people close to him," Matt immediately assured with a roll of his eyes. "A softy with a sense of humor that didn't age with him, anyway."

"Pfft, right," Lance scoffed. Still he turned his head to look at the pair, wanting to catch their reactions. "So, how're things going?"

"Pretty well," Matt shrugged. "Natalie just got back from being checked out today and she wanted to talk to you."

Lance arched a brow at that with a sharp glance at Natalie, who was watching him with an unnervingly perceptive and measuring gaze. But whatever she wanted from him could wait. "I see. Well, I suppose it's nice that you haven't had any trouble in paradise already."

Natalie coughed, and muttered, "I don't know if I'd go that far, but nothing serious has happened." She smiled up at Matt, even if he wasn't quite looking at her. "Matt's pretty wonderful. I'm lucky to have him."

Those simple statements told Lance a lot. One, something had obviously already happened between them, and he was willing to bet that it was a fight of some sort. And it had to have been about something serious to still be bugging Matt. Two, Natalie loved Matt. Three, if the lightening of Matt's eyes and the light flush on his cheeks were any indicators, then Matt loved her, too. That was promising; it meant that it would probably be fairly easy to address what was wrong, once he'd pinpointed what 'it' was. Four, Natalie needed to be educated on how Matt typically thought and responded. And five, Natalie would be easy to exploit in figuring out what was wrong.

"What'd you fight about? His hogging the sheets all the time?" Lance lightly fished. As he'd expected, Natalie took the bait.

"Huh, well that explains the immediate cuddling at night," Natalie laughed. She glanced up at Matt with a smile, but became hesitant when he still refused to really look at her. "Without going into too much detail, we had a disagreement about him making important decisions for me."

"I'm being punished for looking out for her," Matt bitterly told Lance. "She won't even let me hold her hand or kiss her cheek until tomorrow, and never mind anything more intimate. I'll probably be stuck spending another night on the sofa, too."

But while his words sounded angry and accusatory, and would likely come across as frustrated about being denied sex, Lance caught the deep hurt, upset, and fear hidden in Matt's expression and posture. But before he could say anything to make things right for his friend, Natalie spoke.

"Another night?" Natalie repeated with a frown. "What were you doing sleeping on the sofa?"

Now that she thought about it, there had been a blanket and pillow on the love seat in their quarters. She hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but his words indicated that he'd slept there while waiting for her to come back, and he'd been shaking when they'd hugged upon her return. It dawned on her that he'd probably been even more terrified than he'd let on about the idea that she was never coming back.

"It doesn't matter," Matt mumbled, back to staring at his feet. "It's just one more night."

Natalie's worry increased at his miserable voice and eyes. "Hey, you can sleep in the bed with me."

"If I may?" Lance put in dryly. He gestured at Matt with barely disguised exasperation and told Natalie, "He tends to jump to conclusions pretty easily, and he'll keep thinking his way until the truth hits him in the face like a hammer blow to tell him otherwise." His eyes moved to Matt's face and he added firmly but gently, "She's not going to dump you on the street, Matt. Even if she wanted to—which she doesn't—she can't."

"Wait, what?" Natalie asked in surprise with a crestfallen expression. "Do you really think I don't love you anymore?" A stiff shrug was his response, and she felt tears well in her eyes as she stepped forwards to wrap her arms around him. "Oh, Matt, don't think that. I didn't realize... didn't think you'd think... I'm sorry." To her relief, he immediately returned the hug, and she felt him let out a shuddering sigh.

"See, Matt?" Lance prodded. "She still loves you, you still love her, and you can get back to boning without fear." That earned him a pair of flustered glares, and he smirked again. "Now, what did you actually need from me, Natalie?"

His eyes narrowed when she pulled back from Matt and glanced around. She didn't want to be overheard for whatever she was looking for? That was unusual, to say the least. He highly doubted she'd purposefully come to a complete stranger for something about her personal life, so why would it matter who heard her? His eyes widened slightly in understanding before he gave an easy shrug.

"We can talk at my place," he informed them calmly as he turned to continue walking. He glanced meaningfully at Natalie and added, "No chance of eavesdroppers there. But just so you know: I'm not doing a foursome."

Natalie felt a huge rush of relief at his hidden message, even as she flushed at his added statement. Crass humor was an understatement with him—he seemed unable to go five minutes before making another innuendo. Still, whatever he'd done to the security in his place, he'd made it free from spying. She'd been right about him, as had Matt. Lance was a phenomenal friend for him, and knew her lover probably about as well as Matt knew himself. And he was very smart and intuitive to have so quickly nailed down what the issue between her and Matt had been without ever getting a full story. And he'd been spot on there, too, she mused as she glanced up at Matt, who was back to smiling now that he'd been reassured and could hold her hand.

Soon the group was stepping into a small home very similar to the one Matt and Natalie had been given. The only major differences were that the other couple had accumulated some knick-knacks and books, and one of them was growing flowers on a low table set in front of the sofa. Currently, however, there was a bit of a spectacle taking over much of the floor space in the form of a young woman who was sitting in the center of a messy assortment of seemingly random wires, computer chips, tools, and bits of metal. She had green hair that was tied back from her face in a ponytail, lightly tan skin, and brilliant green eyes. Her body was slender and she was significantly shorter than Lance, but had subtle curves that made her beautiful. At the moment, however, grease was smudged on her arms and face, and she looked ready to cry from relief when she saw Lance.

"You're nuts if you think I can organize this mess, much less make anything out of it," she informed him bluntly. Still, she accepted the brief kiss that he bent to give her and smiled as she added, "But then, I already knew you're completely crazy."

"Yeah, yeah," Lance grumbled. He gestured to the pair behind them and added, "Matt and his partner tracked me down, and I thought you'd like to meet them."

Anna's eyes brightened with interest as she turned them on Matt and Natalie. "So, this is the former mastermind of all your mischief? He's pretty handsome." Her mouth was twitching with amusement as she noted Lance step a little closer to her, and knew he was getting possessive again. She wiped her hands on a towel over her shoulder before holding one out to Matt. "Nice to meet you. My name's Anna."

"Matt, and this is Natalie," Matt replied as he shook Anna's hand and gestured to Natalie. His eyes moved past Anna to the mess on the floor and he asked, "What were you doing?"

A snort erupted from Anna as she nudged Lance. "This pest promised me he'd get rid of half of this crap if I sorted it into feasibly useable stuff and useless stuff. Plus, he'd only keep half of what was useable if I could make a simple light. I'm inclined to tell him it's all useless and call the trash guys to come get it."

"It's a really simple task, Anna," Lance pointed out in a tone that said they'd had this discussion before. "You're more than capable of doing it, you're just being stubborn again."

"Whatever. Sorry the place is such a disaster."

The last part was to the guests, who merely shrugged and waited as Lance and Anna worked together to pile the sundry items into large bins and shoved them into a corner past the sofa. After that, Anna vanished down the hall for a shower while Lance snagged some sodas for himself and the others. It was when he was seated on the love seat, and them on the chairs, that he turned his eyes to Natalie with curiosity.

"I've got the cameras and audio for this house disabled and re-wired to display a part of the park. So, what's up that you don't want the guys in charge hearing?"

"Matt and I want to leave the caverns," Natalie stated bluntly. "He told me about all the ways you kept yourself and him out of serious trouble as kids by messing with footage, destroying cameras, and misleading the overseers. I was hoping you know of some way to get us out without the others knowing until it's too late to find us, or if you could find a way to accomplish that."

Lance leaned back with a huff of surprise and his eyes darted to Matt. "Is she serious? I mean, sure, being here sucks in a lot of ways, but it is safe, whereas the surface is a mess. Why the hell would you want to go there?"

"Because she's brought up some good points that make us think we've all been lied to," Matt replied evenly. His eyes were pleading with Lance as he went on. "I want out of here, Lance. I want to go someplace that won't have people lording their authority over me and I can make my own decisions, good or bad. I'll never get that here—you know that. There has to be something out there that's better than this place."

"You both will get executed if they catch you. You know that, right? No one will ever know what happened to you once they've decide you're a threat. They're good at making problem people disappear," Lance pressed. When that didn't dissuade them, he tried a different tactic. "And Anna and I would be roped up in this whether you meant for that to happen or not. It'd be too much of a coincidence to have you meet up with your childhood, trouble-making friend days before you disappear. They'd search for when you were last spotted, and who you spoke with, and find me."

Matt hesitated at that. Getting Lance—and, by extension, Anna—into serious, potentially fatal, trouble wasn't something he wanted to do. He glanced at Natalie, who was frowning in consideration at Lance.

"You could come with us," Natalie offered quietly. "Matt already said he'd love to have you along."

Lance shook his head, "Traipse off into the unknown on a wild goose chase to a place you're not sure even exists, knowing you can never go back or you're dead? No thanks. I like living."

"Is living here really living, Lance?" Matt quietly asked. "From day one we're told how we're supposed to dress, think, behave, and live. The best and strongest of us are treated like pedigree dogs to be bred. We can't choose who to love, we can't say no when presented with a partner, and we're not even allowed to keep our children. And at any time, they can come along and take or destroy everything you've fooled yourself into believing is yours. I know you know all of that, and I know you'd be happier elsewhere. You know it, too. How many children do you have that you'll never know? How many times have they shown up out of the blue and hauled Anna off with no explanation for why, and no promise of when she'd be back? It isn't right. Please help and come with us."

"Come with you where?"

Lance started and glanced around to see Anna was out of the shower and moving to sit next to him. His throat was dry from having everything he already knew and had idly considered laid out in one solid argument. Anna could be taken away at any moment, especially since they were already at risk of separation, and he would never be able to protect her on his own. And he couldn't imagine trying to build this life again with a different woman, always comparing her to Anna, and pining for what had been stolen. But at least she'd still be alive somewhere if that happened. To risk both their lives on a fool's quest with just the encouragement and assurance of one woman he'd only just met that day? But what if Natalie was right and there was a place somewhere far over their heads where he could build a life with Anna that was free from fear and impossible expectations? It would be a dream come true.

"Lance?" Anna quietly questioned as he silently settled against her. He never cuddled around others. Ever.

"I... I need to talk it over with Anna," Lance mumbled. "It's a big choice, and she should definitely have a say in it."

Matt and Natalie both nodded and stood up.

"We'll come back tomorrow?" Natalie suggested.

At Lance's nod, the pair turned and left, leaving Lance and Anna seated on the love seat.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Anna turned her eyes to Lance's face. He looked incredibly torn up about whatever Matt and Natalie had come to say. His arm had come around her waist to hold her to him with a sort of muted desperation. She'd only seem him like this once, when they'd been separated for several weeks as she'd recovered from a miscarriage gone horribly wrong. All that time, he'd been terrified that she was gone forever and he was just waiting for the instructions to return to the barracks for a new partner.

"What did they want?" Anna asked in a low murmur. "Talk to me, Lance."

"They... Natalie thinks there's a good chance that the surface could be lived on, and she and Matt want to escape to try and get there. They need my expertise with the security network to get out with enough time to get away without being caught and executed."

Anna's eyes widened in shock at that and her mind immediately connected the dots for what such a plan meant for them. "But you can't do that without putting us at risk," she guessed.

"Exactly. Matt says we should go with them, but that means an uncertain future and no chance of coming back. They'd kill us if they caught us."

Anna was silent for several moments as she weighed the risks against the idea of freedom. In reality, they couldn't stay, anyway, though—at least, not together.

"As soon as they find out that the miscarriage made me unable to get pregnant, we'll be over, anyway," Anna murmured. "We can't hide it forever, after all, and then they'll make you move to someone new. And who knows where I'd end up."

Lance's face fell and his arm tightened its grasp on her waist. "I won't. I can't."

"Then I guess we go with them," Anna decided calmly. She rested her head against his shoulder and murmured, "I'd be happy as long as you're there with me. And isn't Matt the one who makes the impossible possible?"

"With someone to keep his ass out of the fire, sure," Lance agreed with a fond note to his voice. "He looked good. It's great to be able to see him again. I was worried they'd never let him out of the barracks what with all the trouble we got into."

"Too bad I had to wash up," Anna sighed, "I was looking forwards to getting to know him. But I suppose I'll have plenty of time soon. How did Natalie seem?"

Lance shrugged. "She's nice enough, but I can't say I know her all that well yet. She definitely loves Matt, though, which is good. And they must've hit it off well because she's already pregnant."

"Mm, it might be better for her to have her child before we leave," Anna quietly pointed out. Her hand clenched in her lap as she recalled her own first pregnancy. It had been terrifying, painful, and had nearly killed her. They wouldn't have the supplies or skill to care for Natalie if she had any issues.

"I'll mention that to them tomorrow," Lance agreed as his hand began to rub up and down Anna's arm when he felt her tense. "For now, though, we need to decide what we'll bring with us. Obviously food, water, and blankets. Extra clothes would be a good idea, too, and things to cook with."

"We should steal some weapons," Anna added after a few moments. "Who knows what's out there? We might need to defend ourselves. And medical supplies for if any of us get hurt or sick."

"Carrying everything is going to be a problem," Lance noted with a sigh. "I mean, there'll be four of us, but we'll need a good stockpile of food and water. Gods only know what's edible and not out there."

A/N: A different sort of alternate, post-apocalyptic, dystopian universe. Not really action packed, and probably fairly boring to a lot of you. I'm sorry for all the pseudo science and genetics. Still, it's one of my most recent works, and the best example of where my writing is currently at. I really tried to get some description in there, so let me know how it went. i.e. if there was too much, not enough, just right. Also, as usual, please point out any errors. This was written entirely on my iPad, and while I re-read, and edited the crap out of it, I'm sure I've missed something. :P

Next up is some information to hopefully clear up some potential confusion, and to explain the rest of the world that never got written. If this stuff doesnt interest you, then please toss me a review, and carry on with your life. ;3

1.) Genders are, obviously, raised separately here, with little to no contact with each other, or information on how the other side is brought up. Like Matt knows he and Natalie would not be in charge of any of their kid(s), but he doesn't know that all contact is severed between parents and children, permanently. Natalie knows men are in charge, and assumes they're all crazy, sex-driven savages, even if that the majority of them aren't like that.

2.)The living units are basically small apartments, with many units to on building. Only pairs are kept in them, other, normal people get their own different accommodations depending on occupation and wealth.

3.) There are classes in this world, with a select few ruling over the many (definitely not elected officials; more of an oligarchy). The situation has gone on for many generations, so no one alive in the hierarchy has ever been to, or seen the surface. Pairs are high up the social ladder, above workers, but still far below the leaders. Working class is broken into different categories based on skill level.

4.) Though it wasn't ever touched on, not every person is made to reproduce in this world, only the best of each generation. Other families connect and exists as normal, though perhaps required to get permission to have children (to prevent overpopulation).

5.) Lance's hacking is both mechanical and digital. He's basically a shadow in every system, able to manipulate pretty much any information in the system, which is how he and Anna are in the blink as far as their sterility problems go.

6.) Any knowledge any of them hold is gained through reading material and surviving turns-of-phrase. Like Lance's "got one past the goalie," or his assumption that they won't necessarily be able to find edible food, or Natalie's discovery of things such as jungles, monsters, and mountains. Knowledge isn't exactly repressed or withheld from certain classes, but it's definitely not encouraged. Like they have it available to prevent people from becoming curious about it (there's nothing like telling people "you can't see this" to make people want to see something), and to retain useful knowledge, but it definitely isn't incentivized, and most people are uninclined to go looking for it.

7.) It is possible for a woman to become unable to have children following a miscarriage. It's extremely rare, but sometimes scar tissue prevents an egg from implanting, which is what happened to Anna in this. The miscarriage would have happened several months before the beginning of this story, so Anna would still be considered recovering as far as the officials know, which is why they aren't pushing her and Lance to get back at it.

Responses to Guest reviewers:

Anonymous: A ninja dressed up to look like a ninja is a pretty crappy ninja. :P It would make far more sense to go casual if assassinating a person in public, like Lance would be doing. Natalie would probably make a pretty good assassin, if it weren't for the fact that she has too many morals, and is a healer. As for Brawl Royal, I'm not sure if that's included as canon, or not. I would guess not, though.

Jason: Matt and Lance would, logically, be pretty okay with sharing a bed in a platonic sense. Both spend large amounts of time in the wilderness where it's far safer to stick close together, and body heat is an important factor in places like a tundra, desert, or even just a chilly night. If it helps, though, you can imagine them using separate blankets.

Little Follower: Yeah, I like mixing elements of modern tech with elements of a less developed world. That seems to be more or less how EBF's worlds are, anyway.

Banter will always be my favorite. Banter between Natalie and Lance is usually my favorite of my favorite. I have to consciously stop myself, or it never ends. XD

As for the Name Azure Dust, and with most of my names for towns in these ficlets, I'm following the naming convention of EBF4, and somewhat EBF3. Greenwood, Goldenbrick, Whitefall, Veggie Forest, Rock Lake. I use a color and some kind of building material, or natural element, like Gray Stone in my Matt voiped to being a kid thing.

Yeah, I may or may not have made myself cry while writing the part in the mines. I like to make myself cry with my writing. XD :P I'm sorry the conversation at Lance's house afterwards seemed unnatural. I still have trouble getting flow right, even now, and back then, I was way worse.

As for Natalie, she chose, albeit not entirely willingly, to do prostitution. She definitely has issues seeing herself in a respectable light after that, and would almost certainly have a hard time understanding that there are people out there who would love her for more than her body. But the fact that it wasn't forced rape, and she was prepared for it would have a profoundly different impact on her mind. Furthermore, she would have the comfort of, if things really did go sour, being able to use her magic to escape. And as an asset to a "fairly reputable" brothel (if such a thing can exist), she may or may not have had some protection from "clients" on what they can or cannot do to her. Maybe. I'm not really sure what the rules are at a brothel house, but I can't imagine damaging their profits by damaging their women would go over so well.

Yup. Lance can adjust, but that doesn't mean he has to like it. I'm not looking forwards to transitioning from pseudo-adult to real adult, that's for sure. :P

HackneyedTrope: I will always love Deltora. I've actually been planning writing something like it, full of puzzles, and adventure, but that will have to wait. I'm sorry I've been so slow on the updates, but I have no intentions of posting chapters before they're done on stories that I intend to finish. I do a lot of my writing on my iPad, now, and FF doesn't like to load my changes. :P I have to get on my laptop to fix errors in my posted works, and I'm not normally at my laptop, anymore.

As for submitting my stories to Matt Roszak, I have considered it, but I always feel kinda silly sending my stuff his way-even my drawings I typically don't immediately upload and send his way-like I'm fishing for compliments. Plus, for the most part, my writing doesn't really follow the same tone of his games at all, and I dunno how he'd feel about that. :/

Guest: I probably won't ever write any more on that fic, ever again. Maybe somewhere else, I'll write Matt having to get a real job.