Fandom Tale of Two Survivors { The Last of Us 1x1 with icedthemoon }

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly| 21 | Current location ;; Oregon

It never occurred to him that Alex wouldn’t know what a crossbow was, but if he didn’t know a flashlight, then it would only make sense he hadn’t seen a crossbow either. “When we find this farmhouse of ours around your Jackson place, we’re going to have a lesson in all things useful. Like crossbows. I don’t love them, but they’re similar to the bow. It’s like… like um a gun and a bow together?” He placed the remainder of his supplies back in his bag. “Anyway, the point is that we’re going on a tour of stuff you don’t know about. And then you’re gonna make everything work with that handy brain of yours.” Now that everything was looking better, he moved around to Alex’s back again. “Okay. Is it hurting here? Where you hurt it before?”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Oregon

Alex watched him put his supplies away as he explained what a crossbow was. A gun and a bow together was a weird combination to him. “I can’t wait for this tour of everything I don’t know. And I’ll try my hardest to make everything work just for you.” Alex told him with a big smile on his face. He watched Nate move around to his back and focused for a moment. “A little but not nearly as bad as it was when I first hurt it.” Alex answered honestly.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly| 21 | Current location ;; Oregon

Nate ran his fingers around the areas he knew Alex had been hurt over the course of their journey and specifically when Nate kicked him. “I promise not to beat you up anymore.” He worked out the tension where the muscles were particularly cranky with them. It was likely because they kept agitating them again. “Probably.” He smiled and leaned forward to kiss Alex’s shoulder, careful not to touch anywhere hurt. “Maybe. Unless of course I plan to become your enemy again, which does happen sometimes.” He may have gotten distracted and began a meandering massage around the wounds. “Occasionally.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Oregon

He felt Nate’s fingers run around the areas he’d been hurt. And then Alex laughed, as he felt Nate begin to work out the tension. “Probably?” Alex asked, feeling the kiss to his shoulder. “If you want to become my enemy, I’m not so sure it’ll be me getting beat up dear.” Alex replied as he felt a massage start. A sigh of contentment left him as he relaxed into the massage. “If you want to beat me up then follow up with a massage like this? I could possibly be persuaded to change my mind.” Alex joked, a smile on his face as he chuckled.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly| 21 | Current location ;; Oregon

“You don’t know. I could be very aggressive,” Nate teased as he continued his massage. He wanted to work out as much as possible after everything that happened. “Or probably not. I don’t really do the beating up thing.” He kissed the other shoulder. He would hate for one to feel left out. He massaged his shoulders after a while and then eventually slid his hands down to the front of Alex’s chest and wrapped his arms around him in a hug. “I am much more inclined to give massages.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Oregon

Alex relaxed more as Nate kept up the massage. “Is that so? I don’t think I’ve ever thought about you and the word aggressive in the same sentence.” Alex teased back, though he chuckled a little. A smile grew at the kiss on the other shoulder. “I’d much rather the massages myself.” Alex admitted when he felt Nate’s hands slide down his chest and he leaned back into the hug. His head turned just enough to look at Nate. “Because your massages are wonderful my love.” He added, his hands coming up to rest on top of Nate’s.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly| 21 | Current location ;; Oregon

“I am a highly qualified masseur if you recall,” Nate responded in a moderately fancy tone, though with his southern drawl it was a bit less fancy than someone like Carlos could have done. “Though I could use my skills for evil,” with a finger, he traced a line up Alex’s chest and then across his neck, “I try not to.” He pressed a kiss to the base of Alex’s neck. “But you never know. I could become aggressive now.” It seemed unlikely though.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Oregon

Alex chuckled at the tone of voice Nate tried to use. “Right. How could I forget?” Alex asked as he felt Nate’s finger trace a line up his chest and then across his neck. And then the kiss to the base of his neck. “I doubt you’d use your skills for evil on me. You’d get lost trying to find a farmhouse on your own. But if you choose to become aggressive, I’m sure I can fight you off.” Alex told him with a small laugh. “Although I’m pretty comfortable so why don’t we try this whole aggressive thing in the morning.” He teased with a big smile on his face.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly| 21 | Current location ;; Oregon

Nate’s resolve lost as he giggled at them both. “Fine, fine I guess I’ll try out being aggressive and enemy number one tomorrow. For now, I guess we can do something else.” He slipped away and sat beside him instead. “Would we actually like to eat today or would you rather just sleep? It’s been a hard few days.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Oregon

Alex chuckled at Nate’s giggle. He loved hearing the sound as he sighed. He glanced beside him as he listened and saw him sit beside him. “I kind of want to sleep, or in the very least lay down with you. It has most certainly been a very rough and hard few days.” Alex agreed. He wanted to lay down, and curl up with Nate on the bed, and just forget the world for a while. Just breathe and relax.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly| 21 | Current location ;; Oregon

He too was just exhausted. He should eat. They hadn’t eaten all day and they really hadn’t eaten well in several days prior to that. They both should eat. However, he understood what Alex meant. He absolutely understood where Alex was coming from because he too just wanted to lay down. He wanted to feel Alex in his arms and do nothing else. So he shrugged off his jacket and scooched himself to the head of the bed and patted beside him. “Then come lay with me.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Oregon

Alex knew they should eat, but he felt too tired to even eat. He watched Nate scooch to the head of the bed and smiled softly. "Of course." He replied, shifting himself and moved up the bed to lay beside Nate. He curled into his side, head resting on his chest and arm over Nate's stomach like always. This was familiar, safe and Alex sighed softly, happily.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly| 21 | Current location ;; Oregon

It felt a little wrong finding comfort in the moment when so many could not anymore. It felt like he was somehow cheating others out of their happiness and their life. It felt a bit like he somehow conned everyone out of something to selfishly have what he wanted. At the same time, he knew that they would want him and Alex to be happy. This was what Kaleb and Carlos were fighting for. They were fighting for happiness. Nate wrapped his arm around Alex as he laid against him. He kissed the top of his head. “Thank you,” he whispered. “For being my light in the darkness.” There was just so much dark around him.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Oregon

Alex felt Nate's arm wrap around him and he just curled closer. His mind was running on empty, his thoughts empty because he just didn't want to handle them anymore. He remembered Carlos' last words when he'd tossed the hat, and sighed softly. "You're welcome. That's my job remember? Your guiding light. I'll be here for you no matter what happens." Alex told him, intending to uphold what Carlos told him to. He was going to be there for Nate through anything.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly| 21 | Current location ;; Oregon

Find people you can trust. That was what his mama told him a long, long time ago. Well, he did. He found the most trustworthy person on the planet. He wasn’t sure how he did that, but he did. And it was amazing really. Absolutely amazing. “When did you become the optimist?” He teased though he meant it. How did they swap roles like that? How did Nate walk him back to the worst place on the earth and still Alex was the one who was up? That was all sorts of turned around.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Oregon

Alex tilted his head up to look at Nate as he heard him. Had he really become the optimist? He felt more like a realist, keeping them moving, keeping them safe. “I had a really good teacher.” Alex replied, leaning his head up from where it was to kiss Nate’s jaw gently. Alex readjusted himself a moment later as he thought. “But I’d rather be the realist. It’s much easier.” Alex teased as he laid there snuggled up to Nate.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly| 21 | Current location ;; Oregon

Nate did not deserve Alex. That was his constant thought these last few days. Alex was now the one telling them that they could keep moving. That he believed in Nate. That everything was going to be okay even when nothing felt like it would be. That was optimism. Nate should know. But he wasn’t really a realist. He was being very pessimistic. He would know that too as someone who tried not to be. “You’re right. Carlos was a very good teacher,” he joked.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Oregon

Alex did not consider himself an optimist not really. He was still pessimistic about several things, saving the world being one of them still. He heard Nate’s joke and chuckled to himself. “Yes. Yes he was, but I’ve still got a good optimistic teacher with me. Even if he’s not so optimistic right now.” Alex replied, shifting a little so he was as close as he could be.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly| 21 | Current location ;; Oregon

This was why he did not deserve Alex. He turned Nate’s words around and still cast him in such a good light. Realist or optimist or whatever, Alex was the best of people. The best of everyone Nate had ever known. He reached around with his head and coaxed Alex’s chin to tilt his head up so that he could kiss him. It was meant to be a gentle kind to tell him that he loved him. Something sweet and simple and short. However, apparently he was wrong, because the moment his lips touched Alex’s they created a deep kiss almost like desperation. Maybe he was desperate still. Maybe he really needed Alex to know, because even if he did, Nate couldn’t wrap his head around why.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Oregon

Alex felt Nate coax his chin up and he felt his lips on Alex’s. But this wasn’t just a simple kiss, it felt like more. Desperate almost. Alex shifted, pushing himself up on the bed so he could be closer to Nate. Without breaking the kiss, he gave more into it, deeper. Luke was trying to affirm that he knew, that he understood and he was there. Alex’s hands went to Nate’s cheeks, fingers pushed into his hair as he kissed him back.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly| 21 | Current location ;; Oregon

Nate poured every ounce of love, sorrow, gratitude, fear, and dying hope into this kiss. Once upon a time, he wanted to be a doctor. He didn’t want to just patch them up and send them on their way. He wanted to save people. He wanted to be like the great doctors who used to be in the old world. He read their medical journals and other people’s accounts of their amazing exploits. He wanted to be a hero. Now, as he slid one hand to Alex’s back and the other to the nape of his neck, pulling him so close it was like they were one mass, he didn’t know who he was. Nathaniel Matthews the medic in training who was always looking for someone else to tell him he could save the world or Nate the Medicine Man who needed someone else to save him. Or both. Maybe he could be both. When Alex kissed him, it felt like maybe being both was better than one or the other. They could be both optimistic and realistic. They could both make mistakes and still be heroic. They could be sad and also happy. That was okay. It was okay to survive. If he was going to survive, he was going to survive with Alex. They were going to survive together. Find a home whether that’s in Wyoming or Florida or in a farmhouse or somewhere else. They were going to make a difference even if it was only a difference for them. That was okay too. They could be okay together.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Oregon

Alex felt everything Nate poured into the kiss, and he put his own love, sorrow, despair, fear and every other feeling he had into it. He had never had any plans for himself other than be a great warrior like his mentor, defend his island and find someone to love. But in the end, he only managed one of those things. He found someone to love. Alex never felt like he was a great warrior, but perhaps he didn't need to be great. He just needed to be himself. He always put so much pressure on himself to do better, and a skill that took years for some to master, he pushed to master in a year. Alex felt everything in this kiss and pulled back when he couldn't breathe. He moved only an inch or so, forehead against forehead and noses brushing together. "I love you."​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly| 21 | Current location ;; Oregon

Foreheads pressed, noses fused, Nate closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of someone who was everything in his world. “I love you so much.” He turned his head so the tips of their noses passed one another. Brushing. Gently. He laughed, because this was silly. He laughed, because this was good. “I interrupted your sleeping plans. Sorry.” But even so, his arms constricted in a hug. All roads led to more hugs. “You can, uh, actually sleep now.” He breathed another chuckle. “I’ll be less needy. Promise.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Oregon

Alex smiled as he heard that, his eyes bright as he felt the tips of their noses pass one another. So gentle. Alex chuckled softly, hearing Nate laugh and his smile got bigger. "You didn't interrupt anything my love. Don't be sorry." Alex told him, feeling the arms around him constrict in a hug. Alex's arm curled around Nate's side more as he hugged him. "You aren't needy, I promise." Alex told him, kissing him gently once more before he finally moved away. Head back on chest, arm over stomach and curled into Nate's side.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly| 21 | Current location ;; Oregon

“Oh, I’m pretty sure I’m needy,” Nate chuckled as they settled back into their resting positions. “You’re just kind.” He settled into his pillow and wrapped the blanket around them. He was so tired, but that detour was worth it. It was always worth it, because it was always worth being with him. Honestly, Nate could see why Carlos was the way he was. However, he could not see why Carlos was like this with anyone who breathed. But the closeness and the togetherness were perfect.
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