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

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

He didn’t know how long he stayed there like that, but it was a while. It was long enough to eventually feel as though they might have melded into one being. By the time that Nate brought himself back to his own body, he knew that he was going to have to peel away his cheek from Alex’s. It would be sticky and gross, and he was kind of okay with that. So he stayed there a little bit longer before beginning the debate on what to say. There were so many things that he could say and so many things he should. But what did he need to say? Perhaps nothing. Finally, he wrenched himself away. He bit at his lower lip as he grinned. “Sorry,” he murmured. “I interrupted my own action plan.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex knew that they had to separate eventually, had to move on from this apartment and check out the rest of the building. Find what they could and move on towards Washington. He knew what had to be done, what needed to be done. Did he really want to do it anymore? Not, not really. Alex was content with being held by Nate, their cheeks pressed together. It was calming, grounding, peaceful. He bit back the annoyed sigh he wanted to give when he felt Nate pull himself away. "No, don't be sorry. That was.. It was nice" Alex said softly, looking away with a blush on his face. ​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

As the color filled Alex’s cheeks, Nate ran a gentle finger over it. “Your face does the cutest things when you blush.” He traced the line of the scar on his cheek then continued to just outside his eye, circled back down, and ended at the bottom of his chin. He was so easily entranced by this man, and it was entirely unfair. He pulled his hand away but brought it down to trap one of Alex’s. He hopped up from where he sat and bounced off of the mattress, dragging his companion along. “If we don’t move now, I am never going to move, and then we’ll never get anywhere.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Feeling Nate run a finger over his cheeks and hearing him calling Alex's blush cute made Alex blush even more. He felt Nate's finger trace his scar before going to just outside his eye down and ending under his chin. Alex could not seem to stop blushing, and his face felt hot. He'd never experienced this before but he was becoming addicted to it. Alex felt Nate grab his hand, before he hopped up, and Alex was dragged along with him. Not that he really minded though. "Do we have to? I mean, we could stay here, this could be our farmhouse" Alex laughed, following behind Nate anyway.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate had to move before he got sucked in by Alex’s intoxicatingly cute self. He was going to end up wasting away, because he only ever wanted to look at him. He could watch him do anything between hopping around in trees and sleeping. This was how he died. Not by infected or hunters. He was going to die of something stupid like starvation, because he was going to choose to wrap Alex in his arms and never move again.

He paused. Stay here? Though it was something he thought about, especially as they were still laying there in the bed, he had not really thought that it was a viable option. He hadn’t thought that Alex would want to. And though he assumed that the laugh meant it was a joke, was it? Was there truth in that? Would Alex stop and live somewhere with him if they came across the perfect place? Maybe not here but also maybe here? His pause was mid dragging him out of the bed, so with the momentum, as he turned to face Alex, he bumped right into him with one hand caught right between them. He laughed in an attempt to hide the embarrassment of his movements or lack there of. He considered saying sorry, but he was so distracted by Alex again. This was what he was talking about. He could just stand there forever, one hand still clutching Alex’s and the other now playing with the fabric of his shirt. “Um, I mean, we could stay,” he mused, voice entertaining the thought, “but I don’t where we would put all the wheat. And the horses. And the cows.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

When Alex had spoke, he really wasn't thinking. But the abrupt pause in the middle of being dragged off the bed, bumping into Nate as he turned around was unexpected. His eyes had widened in surprise as he felt one hand on his chest and the other still holding his hand. Alex again was looking at Nate, completely entranced by this man. He didn't really have any words, nothing that he could say without embarrassing himself and making him want to hide in a hole. He could feel the hand on his chest playing with the fabric of his shirt. Alex could look at Nate all day and he was okay with that. "Yes, I guess it would be quite difficult to keep horses and cows here, and the wheat won't grow right." He admitted. "So I guess we must move on" He said, though he still didn't want to move.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

“Yeah.” Breathless. He was breathless for no reason. How could you forget how to breathe just by standing with someone? Or think? Or walk? All these horribly ordinary functions of human beings that were essential life, and he forgot how to do them all. “Yeah, we should.” Every inch of him wanted to stay there. Every cell in his body longed to quit all the rest of their plans and stay here. They could live there for a while. Maybe not forever. They would run out of canned beans to snipe eventually. They could move on later. No, they needed to move now while they still remembered what they were doing. They had a purpose. They were going to do what they could to save the world, right? Big dreams. Farmhouse and peace. The hand between lifted from his shirt, hesitated, one finger hovering near their faces. Finally, he bopped the point of his chin, and he twirled back around to bound further into the living room where they left all the supplies.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex didn't really care much where they were anymore, nor where they were going. He wanted to stay with Nate and he refused to let anything stop him. He would join whoever he had too, do what he needed to do in order to stay with him. Everything in him had become so intrinsically attached to the man beside him that he felt he couldn't even breathe without him. It was the weirdest yet the most exhilarating feeling that Alex had ever had. Alex looked at Nate when he bopped the point of his chin, shook his head and then followed him out into the living room. He laughed lightly as he followed him. They had a few more doors on this level to check out, and then he'd see if Nate wanted to risk going higher or maybe leaving and trying other buildings before they moved on back towards Montana.

"So, what are we having for breakfast? Now that we have some variety anyway" Alex asked, as they entered the living room.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate walked to the kitchen where the packs were. “What, you aren’t in the mood for canned beans?” He laughed before he even finished the question. He sifted through their many cans. No wonder their packs were starting to get heavy. “Well, we could always have some more ravioli. But I believe we also have spaghetti and corn. Canned corn is eh, by the way. Real corn is better. Or canned carrots. That is surely to be an exciting new adventure for you as well. Or… beans. There are always beans.” He shook his head from side to side and pantomimed throwing up.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex laughed as he followed Nate into the kitchen. "As far as I'm concerned, canned beans are not suitable for anything" He said with a smile. he watched as Nate looked through their cans, watching him intently. "Why did people can corn? or carrots? I much prefer fresh corn, right off the cob. It was one of many crops we grew" Alex said. He was confused as to why people felt the need to can everything, though for them, in times like now, canned stuff was like gold. "Carrots are good right out of the ground, just pull them up and eat them. Those were my favorites" Alex said with a laugh. "I think we should go with canned corn I guess. I don't want to eat all our ravioli and spaghetti yet." He said.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate pulled out the canned corn, shoving the rest back into the packs, and grabbed his knife. He popped the can open, produced two spoons, and handed one to Alex. “I think maybe because they lived places like here? There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of places to grow your own food, so they can it so more people can eat it. Seems kinda nice to me, especially since we currently require sustenance, and this is it.” He stole a spoonful from the can and sighed. “After ravioli, it’s just not as good. But anything is better than beans.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex took a spoon from Nate, looking at him for a moment. "I guess that makes sense. It's still weird though. But I guess when you grow up raising your own crops and isolated from any 'old world' stuff, anything is weird" He said, taking a spoonful of the corn and eating it. It had a different texture and was salty compared to the corn he was used to. It wasn't bad, just odd. "Its not as good as the ravioli but way better than beans." Alex agreed, taking another spoonful and eating it. He'd prefer canned corn over beans any day, even if they are salty.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate agreed with that. It was weird, but it was good for them. If they had to rely on food that they could grow, there was no way that they were going to survive. Or they were going to have to find that farmhouse a whole lot sooner than anything else that they did. He ate another spoonful before asking, “Have you ever considered that maybe you’re the weird one? My and my old world junk that mostly has no value other than when the food does sustain us are totally normal and you with your monkey man powers and magical aim are weird? Because that’s just inhuman.” He smiled the entire time he spoke, because even if Alex was a little weird, he loved that about him. Nate was drawn to this person who was not part of this world.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex looked at Nate for a minute. He saw the smile, though he was trying to process what he'd said. "Wait, how am I the weird one? My group doesn't rely on all this fancy stuff to get by. We worked hard to have food, shelter and lived off the land. Your old world is the weird place, with your flashlight things and uh canned foods, and those metal things on the streets." Alex said, a smile on his own face. He took another spoonful of corn and ate it. "How am I inhuman? Bow training was done for every warrior, I just did better at that then hand to hand, same with with tree climbing, I enjoyed it." He said with a shrug.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

He took his last spoonful and gestured with the spoon as he talked. “I think maybe you’re actually an alien. Not even human. I have met so many humans and literally none of them can do things like bounce around in trees and insta-kill baddies in point three seconds with a bow they didn’t even have out and an injured back.” He leaned across the counter, one arm down to keep him propped up and the other gesturing the spoon. “And my flashlight is very normal. Everyone has one. And metal things on the streets? What are you talking about? You know what? This is how I know for sure you’re an alien.” He chuckled at the absurdity of not knowing so many things. But if he were to go to the place Alex was raised, would he be able to follow any of it?
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex set his own spoon down, full himself as he looked at Nate. "Maybe these people you met just don't have the reflexes that they should. I do what I have to quickly because if I don't, I'm dead. And I've had worse injuries just from training, why do you think my reflexes are so good?" He said, crossing his arms, that smile still on his face. "I'm not an alien, I'm very much a human. And the metal things on the streets, they came in different colors, they have these black things attached to them? I can't remember what they were called, I've seen them everywhere but my island." He said. ​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

“Don’t besmirch my mama. She was the world’s greatest, and she woulda looked at you like an alien too.” He placed his spoon down and immediately placed his hand on top of Alex’s. “So, no, I don’t believe you at all. You’re for sure an alien. A cute alien, but definitely still an alien.” With that hand that he just stole, he pulled Alex with him as he spend through the living room to the windows. “Okay, are you talking about cars? Like that thing down there. Big and kind like a box or a dome or whatever. With the big black wheels that actually don’t look to black anymore since they’ve been taken by the grass- that’s beside the point. Cars?”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex laughed a little, listening to Nate. "I would never, but I'm telling you. I am not an alien" He said. He felt Nate place a hand on his and rolled his eyes at him, a light blush crossing his face. He wasn't expecting Nate to pull Alex with him and bring him into the living room. He looked through the windows at the things down on the street. "Yeah, that's it. Cars. Weird things those are. What were they meant to do?" He asked.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate pointed down to the cars on the street, a thing normal people would know about, and shrugged. “To go places fast. Mama told me you put gas in it, and that would make it power up as you also had a key or you knew how to hotwire it- um, like cut the wires and twist them around in a way that makes it go. I clearly never learned that. And then you and your people and all of your stuff could drive real fast wherever you were going.” He put his hands like they were on the steering wheel. “Ten and two for safety and then you slam into the pedal,” he stomped his foot down, “and then you were zooming down the roads going wherever you told it to go.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

He looked down at the cars, then back at Nate. "So they were transportation?" Alex asked. "I'm starting to think your old world is the alien world and my island was normal. Why would you replace a good horse and wagon with a metal thing that looks ugly?" He commented, shaking his head. The more he learned about the old world, the more he found out how much he didn't know. He had no idea about flashlights, cars, and even canned foods. It was alien and strange to him. He watched Nate explain how one operated a car and it was even stranger to him.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate shrugged. “I have never been in a car, but I have ridden on horses. Mama said they were faster than horses and you didn’t need to stop as often. You have to feed a horse, but I guess you also had to feed a car. But cars don’t need to rest, because they aren’t alive.” He shrugged again. “I guess it doesn’t matter, because those things don’t work anymore. They are part of the earth like all the other rocks and rubble and old world junk.” He leaned in closer and said, “But you’re still the alien,” and whipped around to bound back over to his pack.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex still didn't quite understand but he guessed it didn't really matter anymore. "Well it's still weird." He said. "But that's why I want horses with our farm, they're faster than walking" He said, before looking at Nate when he leaned in. "I'm not an alien" Alex huffed playfully as he heard Nate called him an alien. Alex followed after Nate, his arms crossed over his shirt as he walked. He wasn't really upset, he had no reason to be, he just enjoyed the banter and he found it amusing. "Okay, so do we want to finish this floor and go up or finish this floor and head out of here?" He asked, making sure everything was in his pack before swinging it onto his shoulders.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate finished repacking everything just to realize that he abandoned his jacket in the bedroom. “We should finish this floor and then see where we are on supplies,” he called as he plucked it from the floor and shimmied it back on. “I would love a new, not partially eaten jacket if you wouldn’t mind, so I guess we hope that’s what we find in here.” He flung the pack on his back and put out his hand. “Shall we venture into the great unknown about three doors that way?”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex had shifted his pack a little to avoid the one spot that was still a little sore from yesterday. "Sounds good to me" He responded, looking back at Nate who'd gone to get his jacket. "Hopefully we can find one for you, that one is definitely very much worn" Alex responded. "And maybe I can find new pants, these ones have seen better days" He added, pulling at the beige pants he wore, torn in places. He accepted Nate's hand with a smile. "Let's do it" He said with a smile. Alex unlocked the door and looked into the hallway. It was just as quiet as yesterday, nothing looked out of place. No shambling or footsteps. "It's clear" He said, leading Nate out into the hall. They made their way to the door just past the one with the woman from yesterday. Alex tried the door and it was unlocked, he gently pushed it open, listening intently. He didn't hear anything. "I think it's clear" He said softly.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

As they passed the woman’s apartment, Nate slowed. His eyes lingered as he took the time to remember. Her pain weighed heavily on his heart, though it eased as he thought of her finally at peace somewhere. He nodded his head with eyes closed then followed after Alex into the room. He stood inside, listening, and when it seemed to be empty, he relaxed just a little. “Same routine as yesterday?” he asked quietly before pushing into the small kitchen. This one had more nicks in the cabinets. Someone must have used it a lot more. Did that mean that they had a lot more food and things? When he opened one, he nodded. Spices. So many spices. From normal things like salt and pepper to more unusual ones, there was quite a bit. None of that was entirely helpful for their survival, but it did make him think of meals that they could have in the future.
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