The tree's parted and a field opened up to show two small buildings. Aubrey and Silus found themselves walking faster with excitement as the house grew closer. The larger building was a small farm house that had been repaired with reclaimed wood after the war. Standing outside of the building Silus looked up at the walls and made note of obvious repair needs. The house had been empty just long enough that a few holes had grown in the wood and roof, but nothing structural seemed threatened from the outside. Quietly the two humans began lifting the packs from the Brahmin and storing the goods within easy reach of the House's back door.
"We should put the Brahmin up before we go in," Silus said as he turned to examine the lean-to on the far side of a fenced off field. As they walked the animals over Silus examined several places where the fence had collapsed and would need to be repaired before the animals could graze.
The two quickly became distracted with left over items that had been carelessly tossed into the lean-to. Several old horse shoes, a couple of tin cans, and a broken lantern were left in the dusty earth. A soft creaking noise caught the attention of Silus and Aubrey, and they turned to see a man walking towards them leading his own two headed beast. The man's Brahimin was pulling a cart that seemed to be filled with rough cut lumber. The old man stopped at the fence parameter, removed a well worn cap, and waved the couple over to him. Curious about the strangers Silus and Aubrey proceeded over to the man displaying the caution taught to them by life in the wasteland.
"Names Jacob," The man shouted as they came near. He was armed with a pistol at his side and looked like he was still very strong despite his age. "The town's mayor asked me to bring you some worked wood to fix your fence. He came by earlier today to tell me you had cattle. By the looks of it you have two females, if you're going to keep them perhaps we can come to an arrangement about breeding them with my bull. He's healthy and pulls a plow fine. Won't let you put bags on him though. All his children have been kind as can be so far."
It took Silus a few minutes to process what the stranger was saying. Kindness was a peculiarity Silus hadn't had much exposure to, so in a state of confusion he asked, "You want to fix my fence… for how much?"
Good humor colored the smile on the old man's face. He'd met people from the wastes before and knew that their ways were not those of this town. "Here now, I'm the grandson of an original settler to this area. My grandfather was there when the Vault Dweller used the GECK to restore nature to these parts of the wastes. Since then it's been a strong community, working together to restore life to something worth living. I'm here because you need a new fence, and I can spare the time and wood today. Tomorrow maybe you can come and help me dig an irrigation channel for my crops. We work like that. Next week I plan to come help you patch up your hose some and reinforce that old lean-to."
Doubt clouded Silus's mind as the man's motivations still alluded him. Before Silus could say something stupid Aubrey put her hand on his arm and silenced him. "I am Aubrey and this is Sy. Thank you very much for all your help. We're going to need it and more I fear."
"Not farmers," Old Jacob noted as he started to unload a wooden plank and fit it between a tripod formed with older pieces of wood. Aubrey extended her hands and moved to help Jacob, who handed her wire from his belt and told her to reinforce the wrapping around another stacked part of the fence.
Finding himself the only one not working, Silus walked to the back of the cart and unloaded several pieces of wood in order to make the burden easier. The three of them worked for a few hours, until the Brahmin pen was reinforced enough that the cattle wouldn't escape easily. At the end the old man walked the couple over to an old fashioned hand crank pump and showed them how to pull water from the earth.
"You'll have basic plumbing in the house," Jacob told them, "but no hot water. I would be careful what I flush too, your septic system ain't much more than a hole downstream of the drinking water we all use. You got an old wood burning oven and plenty of wood all around you. I converted the oven for the former owners myself."
"What happened to the former owners," Aubrey asked.
"One died and the other moved in with her grandkids," Jacob answered. "Don't worry your heads about the one that died either, he was an old man in his bed when it happened. Nature just saw fit to take him."
Watching the old man as he talked to Aubrey, Silus had the notion that he could possibly live to be as old as Jacob now. Certainly Jacob was going a little bald, and his arms were thinner than a young man's, but the muscles on his arms still showed that he'd had a life of hard work helping others and himself. The ways of the wastes taught that bandits and others had occasionally made a nuisance everywhere, but Jacob seemed to have survived any attacks. Still to be so old and not be slave seemed almost as odd to Silus as the idea that he might live to be as old as Jacob.
Having finished showing the couple how to keep their pump in working order, Jacob took the cap from his head and waved to them as he hopped on his cart and lead his Brahmin away. Over his shoulder Jacob called out, "Don't forget, in the spring we'll breed your cows to my bull. It looks like they would have strong calves."
Standing under the setting sun's rays Silus tried to process all of the information the old man had given him about breeding Brahmin and keeping animals. In his stunned silence Silus turned to look at Aubrey who shrugged her shoulders and smiled at him nervously. Faced now with the prospect of entering their new home, Aubrey let out a long breath, not realizing she had had been holding hers all this time. Weaving her fingers into Silus's the former Legionary turned and looked at Aubrey curiously, then smiled as he turned the key to his lock and entered the house.
The insides were a mess, trash and old moldy furniture lined the floors. Somehow leaves had managed to blow inside, and that combined with cobwebs left a telling state of disrepair. Feeling a little disappointed by the mess both of them stepped into the kitchen from the back porch, settling their bags on the dusty kitchen table. There were not chairs to go with the table, but they could be replaced fairly easy.
The living room wasn't in any better condition, and it looked like someone had snuck in through a boarded up window to smash bottles. The more of the house they explored the more they realized how light on furniture they were. Luckily the tub in the bathroom seemed in good repair and Aubrey voiced her desire to enjoy a warm bath later. On the second floor were two rooms, one with bunk beds and the other with a long metal frame holding a king sized mattress.
Aubrey found herself transfixed by the large bed and expectantly turned to look at Silius who was rubbing his shoulder awkwardly. For the first time he found himself unsure what to do with a woman and he didn't know why. He'd forced himself upon enough slaves to know the basic mechanics of what Aubrey would eventually want from him, but the idea that he would have to take more care of her needs too nagged at the back of his mind.
"We've got a lot to clean up, but I wonder if we have any linens to put on the bed," Aubrey said, distracting a grateful Silus from his thoughts.
"It seems like the last residents took almost everything," Silus responded. "I guess you can look for that while I make a broom to push out some trash. I think the dry brush on the edge of the property might work."
Nodding Aubrey walked into the small adjoining bathroom and started to examine an ancient closet. Inside she found a few towels and a set of antique sheets with an ornate flower pattern on them. At the bottom of it all was a simple fur blanket that would be too warm for the spring nights. Aubrey took the sheets down to the kitchen sink and began to wash them out, making a note that one of their travel blankets would serve better than the tanned fur for tonight.
Walking with loose legs over to the sink Aubrey filled a pot and placed it on the stove. It was a big relief that she had been right about running the pipes for awhile to get the brown dirt out and Silus smiled at her while she stoked the logs on the fire. They were both exhausted from hiking , fixing the fence, and cleaning the house up and Aubrey was about to prepare a hot bath for them to use.
Careening her neck over to look at Silus the small woman smiled at him with tired eyes and begged, "Turn on the water in the bath and fill it about a fourth of the way…once the water runs clear."
Silus nodded and followed her orders, waiting while she heated up one pot of water after another, until the water in the bath was hot to the touch. The Legionary ran his fingers through the liquid, enjoying how it eased the tension out of his knuckles. "You go ahead," Aubrey said, "I want to sit on the porch and watch the stars for a little bit. I'll start another pot and take the bath after you."
"Thank you," Silus said, humbled by all the kindness other people had shown him today. As soon as she left he made short work of his clothes, noticing she'd moved two towels to the bathroom. He lifted the hot water from the tub to his face and watched as it worked its way down scarred skin. Water was such a simple necessity, but years without dependable clean water had taught him to enjoy what he had gained.
Once his muscles had relaxed enough in the bath Silus dried himself, got dressed, and headed towards the porch. Aubrey's arms twisted around the front of her as if she was worrying and she once again looked very small and delicate. He reached out and touched her, as gentle as his huge paws would allow. She turned and looked at him as if she had just noticed he had joined her, and then relaxed against his touch. For some reason Silus found himself afraid of her, or at least what he might do to her tonight. Odd that she didn't seem to worry like his slaves always did.
The cool night air wafted between them and Aubrey turned to look up into the yellow eyes she had grown accustomed to. Maybe it was years in prison,, but she could sense his weakness. Her small hand rested against his high cheekbones and like she expected Silus stared at her as if he was afraid.
"I bet you're a terrible kisser," Aubrey mumbled.
In response to her words Silus's eyes grew a little wider. Luckily he caught the rude response that was about to make its way out of his mouth and ruin the moment. Instead he said, "I suppose you'd have to kiss me to find out."
So Aubrey reached up on her tip toes and kissed Silus. He stood there, stiff, almost pulling back from her touch. Then despite his reservations he leaned in and kissed her back. The red headed woman then closed one of her hands into his, opened the front door, and started to walk up the stairs to the bedroom. Silus trailed behind like a lost child, unable to process what was happening to him.
Once inside the bedroom she kissed him again, and he found her wrapped in his arms. His arms crushed her ribs, but Aubrey ignored the pain in hopes he would relax and enjoy himself. Placing her back on the ground Silus avoided looking at Aubrey, afraid she'd start to cry now. Instead Aubrey unbuttoned the work shirt she had given to him, unveiling his toned body. She led her hand down the center of his chest, and wrapped her fingers around the waist of his pants.
It was obvious that Silus was ready for her, but she wasn't quite ready for him. So Aubrey stepped back and slowly removed her clothes. She was lanky with a slight protrusion to her stomach left over from having had a child. It was a look Silus had seen before and always enjoyed because the roundness showed she was fertile. He allowed himself to touch her now. Firm hands moving across Aubrey's waist and grabbing her backside as she kissed him again.
This time Silus broke off the kiss, "Promise me," and then he paused and looked away from the naked woman in front of him.
"I can't promise you something when I don't know what I'm promising," Aubrey teased.
"Promise me that when we're done you won't cry like a little girl and hate me," Silus finished.
"You've never really had sex with a woman before, have you?" Aubrey asked with a stern quality to her eyes.
"I've fucked my faire share of slaves," Silus announced, his pride hurt.
"You fucked them, but you didn't care about them." Aubrey noted, "Now you care about me and you don't want to treat me like you did them. I guess I can live with that."
Anger lined Silus's eyes. Normally he'd slap a person for talking to him like that, but it seemed wrong to do that to Aubrey.
"It can be good for both of us Sy," she took his hand. "Let me show you."
Aubrey laid him back on the mattress and crawled on top of his body. When she kissed him now she let him know how much she wanted it. She was alive under his hands, on top of him, teasing him against the very edge of himself. Then when she opened his pants and placed him inside of her she moved in a way that made her body shake with unmistakable pleasure.
The way she twisted and moved over his body, her face flushed with crimson, spoke to her own desires. His whole life he'd been told that women could not enjoy sex and now he was inside of this woman and she was moaning. She rocked against him, her fingers trailing along her breasts then down to the top part of her sex. As her hand moved she kissing him again as if she couldn't bare not to have that contact. She proved Caesar and a dozen other Legion men wrong when she started to quake around his dick and screamed out to whatever deity would listen. Then when she arrived at orgasm again after a few moments he found his amazement sated and finished inside of her.
Once they were done she was still there next to him, planting shaky kisses on his chest and cooing gently into his ear. This touched Silus, who pulled her close and fought off a sadness seated in revulsion at all of the women he had refused such pleasure. How could he have anything but outrage and shame for the person he used to be?
Silus kissed her now, wishing he could cry and let these feelings explode. He wanted to tell her how she had saved him in this moment. Words couldn't do justice to what Aubrey had just shown him and somehow she seemed to know it. It was like a miracle when she ran her fingers through his now shoulder length black hair and smiled at him. They both knew he was still a son of a bitch, but in this moment they both felt the kind of love that comes out of having lived a hard life.
Cold and aloof Silus would never see himself as equal to anyone but her. Defiantly he would be cruel to her and make Aubrey second guess her decision to stay with him, but when he could he would reprimand himself and try to be a better man. After all at some point they would have food to grow, animals to tend to, and hopefully head strong children they could teach to be better people than either of them had ever been.