O-Day + 83
Shotgun Wedding
Sophie woke with a drowsy smile on her lips, ignoring the quiet murmur from the other side of the door, where a semi-permanent tent city wound throughout the complex. Right now, the logistics of water and food and space and repairs and assigning manpower could stay where they were. As for the problems outside the walls of their fortress – rumors of mysterious outbreaks in supposed safezones, even military bases and bunkers, stories of countries employing "loose" nukes against the zombie threat with limited success, the disintegration of national infrastructures, and the dwindling of supplies within a raidable distance – all seemed even more distant, and even less her concern.
She twisted, dislodging the nose nuzzled between her shoulder blades, and was struck anew by how adorable Nate looked with bed hair. Even with everything else going on, there were times when she didn't regret the zombie apocalypse at all.
"Mmnhm," he protested, arm tightening around her. But when she craned over and rubbed her cheek slowly against his, he stopped fighting off consciousness. After a few lazy, snugly minutes in which they reacquainted themselves with each other all over again, she ran her hand down his arm and tapped him thoughtfully.
"Nate," she said softly, trying to ignore the nervous thread tying knots under her ribs.
"Hmm?" His fingers were circling and playing with her belly button in an unwitting counterpart, tempting her to just shut up and let him distract her. She put her hand over his and held it still, trying not to think about that, either.
"I ... did you ever work out whether that wedding you did for those kids – the Gilberts – was technically legal?"
The question was incongruous enough to catch his attention. He propped himself up, blue eyes never so intense as when they were inches away and fully focused on her. "Well, considering there isn't a country which has escaped infection, and we've essentially devolved into a global stateless society with most communication networks in shambles, it's as legal as it's going to get ... at least for now. Why?"
Her hand tightened on his involuntarily, and she bit her lip before meeting his look. "Uh, because ... I think, um, you're going to have to make an honest woman out of me."
He stared at her for a frozen second, before his eyes darted to where her hand trapped his against her stomach, then back to her. "Really?" Even before she nodded, a grin was breaking across his face, uncontainable in its elation. "Really?"
Her smile couldn't disguise her own relief and happiness at his reaction, before his arms enfolded her and his lips took hers in the most honest kiss they'd ever shared. She pulled him closer. Everything outside their door was going to stay that way for several more hours.