This is the first day of my life,

I swear I was born right in the doorway.

I went out in the rain, suddenly everything changed;

They're spreading blankets on the beach.

The military entered the apartment first—making sure that the two stayed in the car and waited. They had to make sure the apartment and the surrounding complexes weren't hiding any potential Infected. At least they were thorough; it took them about a half hour before they returned and gave them the 'okay' to move.

"I think breaking down the door was unnecessary," Nick said flatly, pushing on the door that was now stripped of its lock. He let out an annoyed noise. "Well… whatever." He glanced to Ellis who was standing closely behind him, eyes wide and staring into the dark apartment. Nick moved inside and flicked the light switch up and down several times. Nothing happened. "Well, I guess we don't have any power right now." He clicked on the flashlight. "I guess we can fix that in the morning…" His hand dropped down to find Ellis' and Ellis gave him a wide-eyed stare, mouth dropped opened slightly. It seemed he was still in a state of shock to finally be standing in the doorway of his new home, like his dream had finally come true. "Wanna look around? It's dark as hell and even though I haven't been here for a few months, I still know my way around." He grinned in the darkness and Ellis could barely make it out. The young man nodded.

And so with one hand in Ellis' and the other leading them around with a beam of light, Nick began damage control.

For the most part everything was left undisturbed. The windows had been boarded up (Nick noted to thank his landlord if he were still alive) and a few things had been overturned and misplaced—but Nick figured that most everything was left untouched and that meant whoever had been in here last had probably been using the place to hide-out. Come to think of it, the landlord and some lady he hired to keep the place tidy while he was away were the only ones with a key besides himself. And since the door had just recently been ruined it seemed likely that one of those two had last used the place… He wasn't going to complain, he had barged into more than one house himself over the Infection.

"Aaaand," Nick said, sweeping his hand into the next room, "The master bedroom. Lovely, ain't it?"

Ellis' face scrunched cutely as he squinted into the darkness. "I can't see much."

"Nope, and you won't until the morning." Nick pressed the flashlight into Ellis' hands. "God knows who or what last slept in my bed so I'm getting some new linens and blankets. Hold the flashlight on me, thank you." Ellis didn't at all mind focusing the light all over Nicks body. The young man actually found himself smirking as he eyed the other up and down. If Nick noticed his not-so-subtle eye molestation unfolding behind him, he didn't act like it. The conman simply tore off all the sheets and blankets and then moved to the closet.

He pulled out a new (hopefully clean) sheet, and being Nick he smelled it suspiciously. "Sure smells clean. But I don't want to think too much about it. I'd hate to think someone's been in my closet."

"Nah, jus' you 'til ya met me."

Nick couldn't help but grin. "HA! Ellis, you're hilarious." He shook out the folds in the sheet. "Smartass." Ellis giggled and watched as Nick moved around the bed to tuck in each corner of the sheet into place. He returned to the closet for the second sheet (probably mismatched, it was hard to tell) and in one fluid motion draped it across the bed.

"Yer good at tha'," Ellis said, smirking. "Yer more an' more the girl with each comin' day."

"Says the screamer." Ellis flushed and he was happy that it was too dark for Nick to satisfy himself with the knowledge that he had managed to make him blush. "And, now, my love…" The older man smoothed out the rest of the new blankets. "We sleep. Together. In our new home… For the first time. Will you join me?"

"Uh-huh!" Ellis clicked off the flashlight and bound into the bed. He reached out blindly to grab at Nick and pulled the other into the bed. Ellis wiggled about as the older man shuffled the blankets over them. Nick pressed him close, face resting gently against Ellis'. After a moment, Ellis closed his eyes and with the warmth of the other so securely nearby, he fell asleep almost instantly.

Yours is the first face that I saw.

I think I was blind before I met you.

I don't know where I am,

I don't know where I've been,

But I know where I want to go.

Nick awoke to find that Ellis had already gotten up. Frowning the conman rolled onto his back and squinted up at the ceiling. He half yawned but it caught in his throat when he came to the realization that his alarm clock was on, blinking annoyingly, but it was on nonetheless. He sat up slightly. So… the power was back on? He frowned.

Grudgingly he climbed out of the bed and moved to the light switch. Each time he flipped it up the bedroom light came on. He just stood there frowning at it as he flicked it on and off several times. That was… odd… Why would it suddenly...?

"Ellis?" he called, stepping out into living room. He tilted his head slowly—Ellis was… was….

The young man turned around and then grinned. "'Morning, Nick! I flipped some switches an' got the power an' water runnin'. So I took a shower… I couldn't find nothin' ta put on so I… I hope ya don' mind me wearin' this…" Ellis shifted slightly, noticing how Nick seemed to be frozen in place—eyes wandering up and down him in blatant surprise. Ellis chuckled nervously. "Do I look tha' bad?"

Bad? Look bad? Nick had to catch himself before he drooled. The kid looked fucking… just… delicious. Sure, he was wearing one of Nicks suits which was a little too big on him… But even so, just the very look was so becoming on the younger man. It was a black suit—buttoned up with obvious attentiveness, covering a dark gray dress shirt—and gods, the tie. It was a dark maroon, actually perfectly tied and straightened. Everything was perfectly in place. Fucking… just…

"Nick?" Ellis asked quietly—he was beginning to grin. Nicks face was no longer that of a stunned stupor—but instead a ravenous stare. His lips were curled back to form a wolfish grin that may have been intimating had Ellis not trusted Nick so much. And those eyes—oh how those eyes were half-mast with lust and desire. It appeared Ellis had started Nicks morning off on the… well… right foot.

Nicks eyes continued to roam up and down the other as he moved closer, making one very slow circle around the young man. Ellis stood, hands on hips, grinning broadly all the while.

"Are ya done yet, Nick? Had yer fill?"

Nick came to a stop directly before the other and Ellis had to tilt his head back so he could look him in the eye. Nick reached up slowly, touching the top of Ellis' shoulders, running his hands down his arms, fingers drifting to his hips and the back up to the collar. He adjusted the collar ever so slightly, admiring how fucking perfect Ellis looked.

"How am I ever going…" Nick took in a slow breath, eyes dark with lust as he shifted slightly forward, "to get anything done? With you wearing this?" His fingers found the tie and he slowly brought it into his hand, fisting it and then pulled Ellis closer. Ellis felt himself blushing under those intense eyes, but he held the older mans gaze evenly. "Whatever will we do about this?"

Ellis pursed his lips together, eyes breaking away to mockingly search the far wall for an answer. "I don' know… Fulfill any fantasies ya migh' have?"

Nick tugged Ellis' tie again and this time into a kiss. He was firm with the kiss, deep and lustful—mostly tongue than anything else. Ellis felt himself melting against the other, hands coming up to grasp him and pull him close. Oh and how Nick bent him backwards with a forceful kiss that made his body ache with longing. Nicks hands came up—as if to tear Ellis' clothes right off—but then they changed course and went straight to the southerns belt. He practically tore it and then his pants off without even so much of a pause.

"So," Ellis breathed as Nick grabbed his bare ass in his hands and forced his body against his. "Ya really like this suit, huh?"

"You have no fucking idea." A series of forceful kisses and pushing brought Ellis back into the bedroom where Nick gave him one last shove and he toppled backwards onto it. Ellis moved to pull off the rest of his suit but— "No!" Nick said quickly, pouncing him. "Ellis, leave it all. I'll let you fuck me in any way you want. Just leave it on."

Ellis flushed furiously. "I—oh? You…" He shifted himself up onto his elbows and his lips met Nicks gently. "Anythin' I wan'?"

Nick let out a shaking laugh that was filled with tremors of uncontrollable desire. "Yeah, but I wanna look at you when you do it."

"All right." Ellis shifted forward, arms coming to wrap about the others neck and he kissed him again. "Then let's get tha' clothes of yers off."

Nick did as he was told without any complaint. Did absolutely anything and everything Ellis directed him to do—and how could he refuse? He had an eyeful of absolute perfection playing him like a talented musician. Oh, yes, Ellis was masterful with his movements—coaxing out moans and gasps with powerful thrusts or gentle rocks—whatever he felt like doing. And Nick let him do it, let him do whatever the hell he wanted.

Nick shifted his hips slightly, toes digging into the bed as he angled himself a little differently, hands reaching out to touch and clutch at Ellis' clothes. God how he loved the look of that suit on Ellis, the feel of it—the softness of the dress shirt contrasting against the roughness of the suit—oh God, yes. Oh and how beautifully Ellis was smiling, his hands gripping the older mans hips, guiding himself in and out with an intoxicating rhythm.

Nick was sure he was going to faint from the bliss—just absolute melt into oblivion. He hardly noticed that his eyes had closed as he pressed his head back into the pillow, back arching, biting his lip between his teeth to suppress low moans that he couldn't even begin to hope to contain. Ellis must have really liked that, because his hands left his hips and moved to either side of the older man as he shifted forward into a position that allowed him to move more freely, more firmly, more hurriedly.

"Ni-Nick, I... I wanna… wanna hear… hear ya…" Ellis was flushed with passion (didn't help that he was still half-clothed) and panting. Why would Nick torture him by keeping all those noises to himself?

Nick smiled in between his soft gasps—wanted to hear him? All right. If that's what he wanted. He'd do anything for Ellis—even though he was almost positive that this was a roundabout way to somehow get back at him for calling Ellis a 'screamer' the other night. But, whatever Ellis wanted he would get.

Unrestrained, pleased and throaty moans left Nick—and he was almost surprised by how… well, vocal, he could be. Ellis shuddered against him almost immediately in the throes of an orgasm—too overwhelmed by his lovers satisfied noises to withstand another moment of passion. And Nick didn't last much longer either, especially not when his eyes caught that little goofy smile—that so very satisfied grin, flushed cheeks, swollen lips and lovely blues. Oh, how Ellis smiled as he felt his lover trembling with release under him. Just smiled, so brilliantly, so god damn lovely, so perfect—so fucking beautiful.

This is the first day of my life.

I'm glad I didn't die before I met you.

But now I don't care, I could go anywhere with you

And I'd probably be happy.

/end

A/N:. I am incredibly depressed ending this (I feel so lost with the thought that it's over T-T)—and I almost feel like it's not complete enough and so there may be an epilogue to follow this; I haven't decided yet. If I can make one that doesn't sound cheesy, I'll post it. If not, this is goodbye! HEARTS!

The song verses are from "First Day of my Life" by Bright Eyes. I felt it was appropriate to end with another song (parts of it) considering this story was born on lyrics of depression and helplessness… Thought ending it with another song—but brighter and sweeter would be appropriate.

And I must thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading, reviewing and sticking with me through this journey. I have no words to describe the gratitude I have for you all. Thank you. So much.