Winter Glassware

Winter invaded the CEDA settlement; two months after the dramatic events of October had blossomed and wilted. Nick and Ellis managed to stay at home without the soldiers bothering them about Becky's escape or Mac's death. They were interrogated twice all together, and Nick, with his quick lies and sharp tongue, managed to get CEDA off their tails. Fortunately for the lovers, CEDA never sent a new match for either of them in that time. Life was slowly returning to a stable level. Whatever that was.

Ellis stared out the window of his living room into the snow-filled streets with their only blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders. His breath wisped out of his mouth into visible puffs that fogged the dirty glass he was peering through.

"Tits!"

Ellis jumped at the sound of Nick's rough bark that echoed from the bathroom. Ellis covered his mouth to stifle a laugh as Nick scrubbed himself in the freezing water of their shower, gasping every swearword possible.

Ellis' smile stained his face as he dragged his hand up his bare chest under his blanket to stroke his scarred shoulder. The burns had healed nicely, leaving a large discolouration on his skin, along with his forehead. Thankfully, that was the only thing reminding him of the psychos in the camp. Nick's neck healed as well, leaving another tiny scar on his skin.

The shower turned off and Nick leapt out, audibly shivering and cursing. He ran out of the bathroom with only a towel around his waist and sped into the bedroom.

"You asshole!" he yelled out the door. He stomped down the hallway. Ellis exhaled dramatically. "Give me the blanket!"

Ellis kept looking at snowflakes, trying his hardest to not laugh at Nick. Nick entered the living room and stepped in front of Ellis. His hair wasn't slicked back, but all over the place as if it was frozen in place like a porcupine. Nick was as white as a sheet and his lips were turning the faintest hue of blue. His face bore the angriest expression with a hint of whininess.

He couldn't take it anymore. Laughter exploded out of the hick's mouth, making him double over. Nick growled and grabbed Ellis' concealed arms. He pried them away from the mechanic's body before Ellis could protest. The gambler let the towel drop to the floor as he tackled Ellis' newly-exposed, naked form as the blanket fell to the floor. He pressed his wet, naked body against the hick's dry and slightly warm one. Neither men were wearing clothes. Ellis gasped and tried to jump out of the way to escape the cold. Nick shoved his face into Ellis' shoulder. The conman tried to get every inch of his companion wet, too.

"Stop it, yah a-hole, that's cold!" Ellis yelled. Nick locked his arms around Ellis and pushed the two of them onto the sofa. Nick grabbed the blanket and pulled it over them, shifting around to get comfortable.

"Thanks," Nick growled. Ellis shivered and glared at the conman.

"I hate you," Ellis muttered.

"That's not what you said last night."

"Shaddup."

Nick grazed his cold hand up Ellis' quivering chest towards his scalp. He wrapped his fingers through the light brown locks of Ellis' crown and tugged at them roughly.

"We should try to get warm," Nick murmured.

"I bet'chu have an idea on how tuh accomplish that," Ellis snorted. "You ain't touching me with those ice bricks yah call hands until they're warmer."

"Don't tempt me."

Nick bent his knee and pressed it gently against Ellis' bare groin and pulled Ellis' face to his.

The two men faltered at the sound of a knock at the door. They looked at each other, feeling their naked bodies squirm against each others'.

Ellis pushed Nick off and grabbed the blanket, lunging for the door.

"Hey! Use the towel, assclown!" Nick grabbed Ellis' ankle. He fell to the floor and Nick grabbed the blanket. Ellis leapt to his feet and put Nick into a headlock, stealing the blanket from him in time to open the door.

"Afternoon." A voice flew in with the frigid air. A soldier, wrapped in a thick coat and a wool scarf, trudged in, allowing Ellis to shut the door behind him. Ellis wrapped the blanket around him to mask his nudity.

Ellis turned and saw Nick practically posing on the couch, legs spread, stark, and wet, as if he was completely oblivious to the fact that he was nude in front of a stranger. The soldier coughed and averted his gaze to Ellis. The hick's mouth was open, the grip on the blanket covering him loosening. Nick, that bastard.

"Oh, am I disturbing something?" the soldier asked sheepishly.

"No, not at all," Nick replied with a grin. "What can we do for you?"

Ellis shot a 'how-fucking-dare-you' look at Nick. Nick just smiled at him. Ellis chuckled nervously at the soldier to grab his attention.

"We, uh, ran outta towels," he said.

"We were about to fuck, but, y'know, CEDA's always welcome here!" Sarcasm seemed to drip from Nick's mouth through his smile.

"Nick!" Ellis yelled.

"Yes, Ellis?"

"Alright, Ellis," the soldier stated, "I hate to break up the party, but you need to come with me."

Nick's smile vanished. He left the couch and wrapped the towel around his waist again as Ellis stared at the soldier.

"What – why?" he asked quickly. Nick ran his fingers through his hair, bracing himself for bad news.

"I'm here to escort you back quadrant B."

Ellis took a step back, his face contorting into anger. "Wait, what?"

"I have to escort you to your new partner." The soldier looked at Ellis suspiciously.

"It's been over two months, ass-wipe," Nick sneered. "And you're here now? As an escort?"

The soldier furrowed his brown eyebrows and winced at the harsh comment. "Sir, have you not heard about the latest news on Project Repop?"

Nick sniggered. "No, I haven't really given a shit, lately."

The soldier took a deep breath. "Project Repop has been modified to protect its participants; the quadrant is now secured and has twice as many military officials in it. Everyone must be escorted to their house and must be the appropriate match. The houses are now guarded by one soldier per two houses. Ellis here was matched months ago with this woman, but she had a heart attack, poor woman. She's okay now, and she's waiting at the house."

"But why?" Nick asked, annoyed.

"Well, back in October, a woman seriously injured herself and her partner after drinking too much wine."

Ellis' shoulder twitched as his throat went dry.

"She managed to give the man's shoulder and neck second-degree burns; horrible accident. She was in the clinic for about two weeks, but she was pulled from the program. I don't know about the man."

Nick's gaze burned into Ellis' body. Ellis shifted uncomfortably, unbeknownst by the soldier. He remembered all too well; Jules grossly intoxicated, sobbing and growling before hurling a hot candle right at his head.

"There was also a soldier who was discovered to be impersonating a civilian in order to sleep with two unsuspecting women."

Ellis stopped breathing. Two? Becky wasn't the only one?

"After he was found, he apparently tried to escape by climbing over the wall. He appeared to have been bitten. As a result, an anonymous person shot him and fled the scene. And thank goodness! We wouldn't want any of those...things... in the camp. Oh, and one his two victims managed to disappear. We're still trying to find her, but so far, no luck."

"Rebecca Kiltswater?" Ellis blurted. The soldier's gaze snapped up to the hick's face. Nick tensed. Ellis' eyes widened at his mistake.

"Why?" the soldier asked. "Do you know her?"

"She an' I... used to go out every Saturday to go shopping."

"Oh. Well, yes, she's missing, so if she comes around, let CEDA know."

As if. Hopefully, she'd be closer to her husband and child in Oregon and farther from Louisiana.

Ellis looked at Nick. Nick looked at the soldier. The soldier looked at Ellis.

"Wait," Ellis muttered. "What about Nick, here. He hasn't been matched for two months, either."

"Ellis," Nick hissed. The soldier merely shrugged.

"I dunno, I'm just the messenger. My only concern right now is getting Ellis to his match. So," the soldier prompted Ellis," we gotta go; we're late. Dress in something warm, it's a hell of a walk."

Ellis thought the cold was harsh enough, but this was surreal.

Just like the soldier had explained, quadrant B was no longer just another patch of houses, but a highly secured, fenced-off area infested with soldiers. Uncomfortable, Ellis stuffed his hands into his old mechanic jumpsuit, which was the only thing warm enough for him. The soldier accompanying Ellis led him through the new gate and took him straight to house 7K.

"Alright, Ellis," the soldier huffed. "This is it. You know the new rules of Project Repop – no forced sexual intercourse; no flesh-injuring activities such as biting, scratching, or tearing; no leaving the house between the hours of 6pm to 7am; no alcohol consumption; and no visitors. Breaking these rules will result in time spent at the new CEDA detention facility. Understand?"

Ellis nodded quickly. "Is she in there already?"

The soldier laughed and rubbed the back of his neck under his scarf. "Oh yeah, she sure is!"

Ellis stared at the giggling soldier, knowing something fishy was unfolding. He turned to the door and knocked on it. He heard rapid footsteps approach from the inside. Instead of tapping, they stomped and made the door rattle. Ellis' eyes widened as the door swung open to reveal Tatiana Darling.

"Holy shit," Ellis exclaimed to himself, craning his head to see the woman's face.

Her name was no indication of her appearance. She had a large frame, making her tower over the hick. Her eyes were dark brown and her hair consisted of black and gray frizzy curls. She wore unsporting men's clothing which included a plaid jacket and baggy overalls. She looked as if she could tear him in half.

"Ellis? Oh, you are so adorable!" she squealed. She reached out and pinched Ellis' numb cheek, giggling. "Thanks, Hector, y'all kin leave now!"

"I'll be outside, Darling!" Hector exclaimed cheerily.

Tatiana whisked Ellis inside and shut the door. She locked it.

"Ma name's Tati! How're y'all doin'?"

"I, uh, well," Ellis stuttered.

"We are going to have so much fun! Gawd, I have'tuh ask: how old are yah? You jus' look too dayum cute!"

"T-Twenty-four, ma'am."

"Well, fourteen years difference isn't that big uv'a deal!"

Ellis went pale and his throat went dry. Maybe this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. Tati turned and stomped into the kitchen to grab an apple from the fridge. She took a bite and swallowed.

"So what's yer story, hmm? Survivor? Rescued?" she asked, spitting apple from her mouth.

"I survived," Ellis stated.

"Oh, wow. I got rescued back in Texas with ma whole family. Husband died years ago, tragic, but I got a couple'a kids outta it! They're in the project, too! Got the news yesterday 'bout Winnie's pregnancy and John's done, too! Do you know John? No? Oh well, since they're in the Project, I have tuh try tuh get another baby! Gawsh, I can't wait to be a mother again, an' you seem like the strong type, so I'll assume that the baby'll be strong, too. One second, I gotta pee!"

Tati tossed the unfinished apple into the sink and walked into the bathroom.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Ellis jumped to his feet and ran to the main door. He tried to open it, but remembered the deadbolt. He tried to turn it, but it didn't budge. The bathroom door opened and Ellis jumped back on the couch. Tati turned around the corner and wiped her mouth. She sat beside Ellis, shoving against him to get closer.

It's okay, she's only old enough to be your mother. Jus' tell her you're not interested. I'm sure she'll take it the right way. It's either that or get crushed. Or killed.

Ellis choked and forced a smile. Tati smiled widely and puckered her lips.

"So how'd y'all wanna do this? Yew should top."

Ellis blinked and caught his breath. "W-Woah! A-Ain't this goin' a little too fast?"

Tati unzipped her jacket and wriggled out of it. She threw it to the floor and unbuckled her overalls. She grabbed Ellis' jumpsuit and shrugged. "Well, I already have a family, I don' wanna get attached to a cutie like yew. So we gotta do this quick."

"T-Tati!"

Tati pulled Ellis' jumpsuit off his shoulders and pulled his arms out as if she were undressing a toddler. Ellis placed his hands around her thick wrists and moved them away. "No. I –"

"No, what? What's wrong, too cold?"

"No, it's not that, it's just – I can't –"

"Can't what?" Her eyes flashed down to Ellis' lap. "Oh, you can't do that."

Ellis snapped his eyes down to his crotch. "Wait, no, it's not that, I don't have a problem with that!"

"It's alrigh', El, my husband had the same problem! Even Viagra didn't do the trick!"

Ellis' face started burning. "B-But that's not –"

"Yew wait righ' here. I'ma go get somethin' tuh help."

Tati stood up and made her way to the bedroom. Ellis jumped up again, panting, and tried to wrench the door open as if a tank were riding his ass.

"Got it!" Tati chirruped. Her loud footsteps approached. Ellis bounded back onto the couch just before Tatiana emerged. In her large hands was an old potato sack. She set it on the ground at Ellis' feet and sat back down. Ellis shivered as the cold licked his exposed arms and wished he could pull his jumpsuit back over his shoulders. Tati bent over and opened the bag. Ellis tried to see its contents, but Tati's head got in the way.

"Here we go!"

Tati straightened her posture with a magazine in her hand. She smiled and tossed it onto Ellis' lap. Ellis peeked at the cover.

"Porn?" he asked slowly.

"Yup! John read's 'em so I thought that it would help if help was needed!"

Ellis stared at the woman on the cover and gulped. "Tati, listen, I –"

"Don' be embarrassed, go ahead an' read it! I'll read mah own book over here."

Ellis grudgingly opened the porn magazine as Tati sat down with a novel.

It wasn't like this was new to him; he used to always look at this sort of stuff when his dad wasn't home. But when the apocalypse hit, all of that jacking off over fake women didn't count for squat. Soon, shooting the infected was his new love. And when Nick came around, the danger was like crack. Porn magazines didn't do anything for him anymore, especially when even porn stars couldn't achieve what Nick was capable of doing on certain rare occasions.

Ellis flipped through the pictures, tilting the magazine this way and that, questioning the positions of the couples staining the paper. One picture caught his attention: a woman pressed against a wall taking it from some body builder from behind. His hand was hooked under her right knee, pulling it up to show the camera all the action.

If Nick did that to me, I'd go fuckin' nuts. Like that time after we got outta that swamp.

Ellis suppressed a cough, averting his eyes from the pictures. His face went red as the image replayed itself in his head.

He was pacing around the safe house, the white fabric of his tux rubbing against itself. Ellis stared up at the conman's face as he stood up.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I – I shouldn't a done that."

"No, you shouldn't have," Nick spat back. Rochelle moaned in her sleep and rolled over. Coach snored loudly. Ellis bit his bottom lip, the feel of his kiss still pressed against them.

"I understand if you're mad at me, now."

"No, kid," Nick hissed. "I'm fucking frustrated!"

"Why?"

Nick stopped pacing and stared into the hick's eyes long and hard. He cleared the space between them and crushed his face with his just like Ellis had done five minutes before.

When Ellis' clothes were removed, Nick bent him over one of the boxes piled up in the corner, breathing hot air into his ear as he pressed into him for the first time. Both men were full of ecstasy. Nick panted and groaned at the sight of Ellis' back muscles tensing, showing his build to the conman's green eyes over and over again.

He wanted Ellis to never forget this. Never. Nick would make sure of that. And truth be told, he was at the point of not wanting to forget it, either. That, in itself, was strange. So he grabbed Ellis' leg and pulled it up, making Ellis moan loud and long as he pounded into him one last time, joining his moans with his own. Rochelle stopped snoring just as Ellis gasped one last time, shooting his seed onto the box as Nick filled Ellis with his.

And when Ellis' knees gave out, Nick went with him, wondering why the hell he was smiling.

Ellis' breaths came rapidly now, sweat beading his forehead. His face burned red-hot and he had a massive erection. Unfortunately, Tati noticed.

"See, what I tell yah?" she stated. She shut her novel with a clap and left her seat at the table. She dropped her overalls to her feet and stepped out of them. Ellis' eyes went wide, Nick's moans filling his ears again and again. Only when Tati removed her underpants did Ellis snap out of it.

"No!" he gasped. Tati froze.

"What's wrong?"

"No, Tati, I can't keep –"

Tati looked down again to Ellis' pants. "Oh."

Ellis' pants had gone back to flatness.

"No, it has nothing to do with –"

"Not tuh worry, Ellis, I have somethin' else fer yew! Here," she said as she shoved her hand into the sack again. This time, she pulled out a can of some sort of food.

"Oysters," she stated.

Ellis laughed nervously. "Huh?"

"Oysters, mama nature's natural Viagra! C'mon, eat up!"

Lunch had been served.

Ellis forced the slimy shellfish down his throat, making a face. He finished the entire can and set it on the other side of the couch.

Ten minutes later, Ellis saw what Tati meant.

"Nick, please," Ellis moaned. "Ro' an' Coach...they'll see."

"I need this again. And so do you." Nick threw his jacket off him, pressing Ellis' back to the wall of another safe house.

Ellis gulped again as Nick's sexy voice re-entered his head.

"Shit, kid, shh!" Nick growled as Ellis breathed loudly. Rochelle and Coach were right below them, finding food. And Ellis wanted to scream his bliss to the heavens.

"Ah, told yah it would work."

Ellis' eyes opened. Tati was standing over him, ready for what Ellis apparently had to offer.

"That actually worked better than I expected!"

The hick blushed even more as Tati stared at his package. She unzipped his jumpsuit slowly. She opened the suit and unzipped the jeans underneath. Ellis squeezed his eyes shut, praying to god that she'd have another heart attack or that Nick would knock on the front door before having to shove her off him.

Suddenly, Tati stopped moving and took her hands away from Ellis' lap.

"Ellis?"

Ellis opened his eyes again and peered down at Tati. She looked down to her knees and sighed.

"What?" Ellis asked.

"I have a wee bit of a confession tuh make," she confessed. "I'm selfish."

Selfish? Where'd she get that idea?

"You're twenty-four. I'm thirty-eight. Shit, where I come from, y'all could be my son! So I have something fer yew tuh try, an' I hope yew like it."

"Sorry?" Ellis zipped his fly and his jumpsuit. "What're yah sayin'?"

"I'm sayin' that there ain't no use in trying to make yew have sex with me. It ain't righ'."

Ellis simply stared at the woman. Was he hearing this right? No throwing candles around? No hitting him with brooms?

"That and yew obviously have someone else."

"Woah, huh?" Ellis stammered. Tati's mouth twitched into a smile.

"Nick?" she asked. Ellis' jaw dropped at the comment. "Yew moaned it when yew dosed off just now. Right after yew ate them oysters. "

Shit. Fuck. Piss! Ellis, you retard! Can you not talk in your sleep?

"Anyhow," Tati piped up as Ellis regained a normal breathing pace, "this is what I wanted yew tuh try."

Tatiana reached into the sack one final time and pulled out a very normal, practical, everyday object. A tumbler glass. Ellis scoffed.

"Uh, Tati, I ain't drinking. Y'all can get that idea outta your head."

Tati flung her hand up and whacked the side of Ellis' face. "Watch yer tone! Naw, I ain't gettin' yew drunk, I'm a mama for Christ's sake! No, take this glass, go to the bathroom, think about yer girlfriend – or yer boyfriend – and whip me up a nice batch o' joy and I'll use a turkey baster an' do this myself!"

Ellis stared at the glass Tati placed in his hand. She crossed her arms and tilted her head towards the bathroom. Ellis looked up at her.

"Wait, you mean – I – you – uhh – what?"

"God, boy, honestly!" Tati scoffed. She stood up and grabbed Ellis' wrist. She wrenched him to his feet and dragged him to the bathroom. "When I give you a free pass to wank off, y'all do it!"

Ellis didn't have enough time to process what was happening before he was shoved into the bathroom.

"Y'all remember to give me enough to work with!" she called back at him as she shut the door.

And Ellis was alone. Out of all the people in the CEDA camp, he got matched with a psycho violent drinker, a depressed rape victim, and now a mother of two grown children asking him to jerk off into a cup.

Think about it, Ellis! It's like donating your sperm!

The thought made Ellis feel a little better. He set the glass on the side of the tub, his mind full of porno-positions and his stomach full of oysters, hearing Nick's voice moan in his head. Ellis took a deep breath, waiting for the right moment to start, and dropped his pants.

Nick hated CEDA. He hated them with a passion. Right after Ellis left, Nick hated his house, too. It felt empty. So Nick left the house to tramp through the snow in only jeans and a t-shirt, allowing the cold to numb his senses. He made his way to the convenience store, his t-shirt sucking in whatever snowflakes landed upon it. He stepped into the store, nodding towards Stan.

"You cold at all Nick?" he asked.

"Hey, Stan," Nick replied, purposely avoiding Stan's question. "What's new?"

Stan exhaled as Nick went to the fridge at the back.

"CEDA came by this morning and told me to start packing up."

Nick frowned. "Why?"

"You haven't heard yet?" Stan asked.

"Please tell me this ain't more bad news, 'cause if it is –"

"No, it's wonderful news!" Stan exclaimed. Nick turned to face him, holding a glass bottle of Iced Tea in his hand. "CEDA sent some military officials to go through New Orleans a few months ago, and they've officially declared it safe! They closed off the city and with all the survivors in the country, it's big enough to start all over!"

"You're shitting me!"

"No, we're outta here next month! CEDA's rounding up any salvageable choppers and planes as possible as we speak!"

The bottle in Nick's grasp slipped, smashing all over the floor. Stan laughed at Nick's bewildered face. Nick felt the corners of his mouth tighten as he smiled.

And Nick ran. He ran out of the store and into the snow, leaving the glass behind him. He turned up the street and sprinted as fast as he could towards quadrant B.

They were leaving. They were finally being set free. Nick never felt so happy. He slipped around a corner, crashing into a snowman that a group of kids were making. He tumbled into the ground, grinding his bare arm against the frozen gravel underneath. He jumped to his feet.

"Sorry!" Nick yelled over his shoulder. He kept running. He ignored the stares from everyone as Nick's arm left blood drops on the white snow by his feet. People wrapped in thick coats shuddered at the sight of Nick's bare skin as he sped past.

"Oh, shit!" he cried. A woman stepped into his path. He skidded to a halt right before touching the woman. She didn't even budge.

"Watch it!" the familiar voice barked.

"Ro!"

Rochelle threw the hood of her jacket back, thick lips pursed. "Y'all gonna kill somebody!"

"Not today!" Nick said.

"What're y'all so happy about?" she asked suspiciously. "Maybe you should put on a coat."

"No, Ro, we're leaving! We're getting out of this shit-camp next month!"

"Ok, seriously, let's get you a jacket."

Rochelle turned to leave. Nick grabbed her arm and turned her back.

"I'm not lying!"

Rochelle's concerned stare morphed into disbelief. A smile broke out onto her face. She started laughing. Nick laughed with her.

"I gotta go, I'll drop by later. Tell Coach!"

Nick left Rochelle and resumed running. He made a final turn before seeing the gate of quadrant B.

A figure shuffled through the snow in front of the gambler, walking towards him. Nick didn't think any of it until he was passing the man. They looked up at each other right before Nick barrelled past.

"Nick?" shouted Ellis. He lunged out to grab Nick. The speed sent both of them crashing into the soft snow, Nick on top of Ellis.

The breath was knocked out of the kid. Nick propped himself up and kissed Ellis, forcing his mouth open for his tongue to enter. Ellis gasped and wriggled under the man's weight.

"Nick! There are people watching!" he whispered.

"What are you doing out of the quadrant?" Nick asked suddenly.

Ellis shut his mouth.

"Are you hurt?" the conman probed.

"No, I'm fine," Ellis replied. "No burns, no bruises, no cuts. What the hell happened tuh you?"

Nick looked at his bleeding arm. "Doesn't matter, but listen, I was just at Stan's store, and you're not going to believe what he told me."

Ellis propped himself up on his elbows, his back arching as snow melted down the back of his suit.

"CEDA's letting us go," Nick breathed. "We're leaving."

"Alright, man, that ain't funny. Y'all letting the cold get tuh you."

"Fuck off, Ellis! I'm telling the truth!"

"How long have yah been outside without a coat?"

Nick replied with a handful of snow and shoved it into the kid's face. Ellis yelped and cried out.

"Alright, stop it!" he yelled. Nick wiped Ellis' face. Blue eyes stared into green as it hit him; the notion of freedom.

"Holy shit, it's Christmas!" Ellis cheered. "Well, not really, but y'know."

"Wait, why are you out of the quadrant if you haven't been hurt?" Nick asked slowly.

"They let me go," his lover replied.

"But why? You didn't actually –"

Ellis smiled widely and giggled. Nick made a face. "Naw, I did. I did, but I didn't."

Nick scoffed and pulled Ellis to his feet, his smile loosening. "Oh."

Ellis' smile vanished. "Nick, I didn't sleep with her."

"Uh-huh. You did, but you didn't." Nick brushed his pants off and stuffed his hands into his pockets, the air filled with sudden awkwardness.

"How do I say this without you killing me?" Ellis asked. Nick shrugged angrily, thinking about his partner sleeping with a strange woman and being happy about it after the fact. "I – she – well – hell, here it goes: Ijerkedoffintoacupan'sheusedaturkeybasteran'she'."

Nick stopped walking. "What did you just call me?"

"I didn't call you anythin', I told yah how it happened. I jerked off into a cup for her and she was happy 'bout it so she set me free. Woman's choice."

And the next thing Ellis knew, Nick was falling backwards. He was convulsing with laughter, even after he hit the ground, and rolled around in the snow. Ellis stared at the man, confused. When was the last time Nick laughed so hard? And soon Ellis was joining in, laughing until his sides hurt and his knees gave out, joining Nick in a heap in the snow, hugging him and holding him and kissing him until people asked them to leave.

They had done it – they had survived the apocalypse and now CEDA. They had survived Jules' rage, Becky's nightmare, Mac's terror, and their own jealousy. They also kept their unspoken promise; a promise that was made after that fateful night outside of the swamp.

They had remained faithful.

FIN