Fandom The Farmhouse Dream { The Last of Us 1x1 with icedthemoon }

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews and Carlos Price
Former Firefly, Aspiring Artist | 21, 25 | Current location ;; Washington

“Are you underestimating my charm?” He finished as well before he plucked up the food to put it away. “No one can tell me no. And that man would eventually concede to some cuddles if I put him between Jordan and you.” He looked at Kaleb with a wink before he also took the utensils from each to clean and put away. It was only fair if the rest were going to prepare the meals for them. Nate stood up to stretch and also have something that he was actively doing instead of awkwardly trying to be part of the conversations. Since he wasn’t able to talk anyway, he might as well start cleaning up their cuddly mess that they made. “Don’t run from me, Medicine Man!” Carlos called. “You know you were perfectly happy in between your cutie and mine.” He made intense eye contact. “Don’t pretend like I didn’t see you cuddling with my love like that.” His smile was wide. “It’s what I like to see.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan and Kaleb Price
Former Seraphite, Former FEDRA officer | 19, 27 | Current location ;; Washington

“Me? Underestimate your charm? Never dear. And I feel you are correct. We had quite a little connection so I feel he might concede then.” Kaleb admitted as he handed his utensil over to Carlos. He watched as Nate stood up and stretch and then chuckled, hearing Carlos and shaking his head. “It was rather nice to cuddle with you.” Kaleb told Nate as Alex laughed, having handed his own utensil over. Alex stood up a moment later, stretching out as Kaleb stayed sitting, quite content.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews and Carlos Price
Former Firefly, Aspiring Artist | 21, 25 | Current location ;; Washington

Carlos put everything away, wiping down utensils and distributing them as they should be. Nate, struggling as usual, looked at Kaleb and the blush came back. Did he like being that close to Kaleb too? Yeah, he kind of did. He liked being the little spoon for Kaleb while also being attached to Alex. It was nice to know that he was surrounded and safe. “You are very warm,” Nate finally said with a small smile. “Which is nice with how it’s getting colder out here.” He lifted up the blankets and started putting them back where they belonged.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan and Kaleb Price
Former Seraphite, Former FEDRA officer | 19, 27 | Current location ;; Washington

Alex looked at Nate when he answered Kaleb, saw that blush and smiled. It was nice to be so close to the other two. Especially where winter would be coming. The nights were getting cooler and it was nice to have that warmth. That coziness. “Oh well thank you. You want warmth though, cuddle with Carlos. Man’s feels like a furnace especially in the winter.” Kaleb said with a chuckle. He ran cooler naturally so anything warmer than him was nice when the cold winter weather came around. Kaleb finally stood up as he watched Nate start putting the blankets away. Alex helped Nate with the blankets and soon everything was tucked into packs and ready to go. Alex walked over to the overlook’s overhang and saw the sun shining as it came over the city. He took a deep breath, looked back at his family, and nodded. “Are we ready for Seattle?” Alex asked with a small yet nervous smile.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews and Carlos Price
Former Firefly, Aspiring Artist | 21, 25 | Current location ;; Washington

Carlos wrapped an arm around Kaleb’s and Alex’s shoulders, bringing them close to him. “Who needs a fire when you have me?” Though, they probably would have to start finding ways to bring more warmth than he could give if they were still out there in the winter. The cold could be more deadly than all those infected and hunters combined. That was if this was not where they were stopping. If this was not where the farmhouse was. And though this may have been Nate’s dream, it was not Carlos’ so he was not super upset by the idea of this not being the answer. He was afraid for the medicine man, though. How was he going to react if they came all this way for it not to be the answer? Nate slipped away from Carlos and Kaleb and moved to Alex’s side. Seattle. This was it. It was hard to believe that they finally made it. It was time. He stared out at the city after Alex turned away. After Alex asked the question. Carlos was already talking and answering, but Nate couldn’t hear him, because he was too busy hoping that this could be the answer. For his brothers and his mama. For all of them. He slid his hand into Alex’s and breathed as deeply as his partner. “We’re ready.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan and Kaleb Price
Former Seraphite, Former FEDRA officer | 19, 27 | Current location ;; Washington

Alex felt Nate’s hand in his and smiled at him. With a determined nod, Alex turned and walked over to his pack, throwing it over his shoulder. “Let’s do this.” He said, turning to lead them down a path beside the overlook. Kaleb took Carlos’ hand after he’d grabbed his pack and smiled. “We got this. The four of us together.” Kaleb agreed, turning to follow Alex down the path and towards the city. The city he wasn’t sure about, but had heard rumors from other officers about. The last remaining FEDRA officer there had managed to make it to Denver actually and she had stories about Settle and the group currently in charge of it. He put those rumors in the back of his mind and focused on his family instead.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews and Carlos Price
Former Firefly, Aspiring Artist | 21, 25 | Current location ;; Washington

Nate didn’t start moving until Alex moved him. Everyone moved so he did too. He was part of them. One with them. That was the only way this was ever going to work, because at some point, he learned that he could never do this alone. How did he think that he could do this alone before? They told him that he could do it. He could complete their mission. He could find whoever was left. They believed in him. “Oh.” He pulled his backpack to his front and unzipped the pocket. He pulled out two additional tags. “You guys want these? Just to make it easier until we can get in and figure everything out? Maybe they won’t question everything else if we’re all Fireflies.” He held out the two. Maxwell Sterling and Benjamin Dixon. “I don’t know if it will help really.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan and Kaleb Price
Former Seraphite, Former FEDRA officer | 19, 27 | Current location ;; Washington

Kaleb looked over at Nate when he heard him. The tag in his hand made Kaleb freeze for a moment. Be a Firefly. The same group that killed his mother. The same group that changed his father into the cold uncaring man he was now. Kaleb felt his entire body freeze, almost like how he’d been originally, walls were sliding up. He’d come so far, realized that no one was the same, and had accepted Nate. Cuddled with him. Kissed him. But.. to even pretend to be one of them. They’d discussed this before but now that it was happening, Kaleb was having second thoughts and he couldn’t help it. He shook his head, taking a step back from Nate and those tags.

Alex turned when he heard Nate and then he saw Kaleb, was he okay? He didn’t seem okay. Something wasn’t right but Alex wasn’t quite sure what. ​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews and Carlos Price
Former Firefly, Aspiring Artist | 21, 25 | Current location ;; Washington

Something went wrong. Awry. The plan was to pretend just long enough to get in so that whoever they found wouldn’t ask so many questions. The plan was to be someone else until they could be themselves. That was the only plan that Nate had, and they needed that plan to work. But it was already falling apart. Nate watched him step away. Watched him recoil. Deny them. That hurt. That hurt more than Nate could possibly describe, because it shouldn’t hurt so much for the ex-FEDRA officer to be upset about his ex-Firefly background. Ex. Past tense. That didn’t mean that it wasn’t important. That didn’t mean that it wasn’t exactly who they were still.

Could Nate be FEDRA? Even pretend?

He dropped the tags in the bag, there was no use pretending when they were never going to be able to be anyone except for themselves, dropped the bag on the ground, and hugged Kaleb. Nate hugged him. Not the Firefly. Drop the Fireflies. Drop the people who terrorized and murdered. Not the people who made good people’s lives a living hell. Not the FEDRA officer. They could drop FEDRA too. Drop those people who terrorized, murdered, and make good people’s lives a living hell. Drop it and just be Nate and Kaleb. Not Nathaniel Matthews and Officer Price. Just Nate and Kaleb. Nate’s arms wrapped around Kaleb so tightly that it almost hurt himself to do it.

“Okay,” he breathed from where he clung to Kaleb. “You don’t have to. We don’t have to be them.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan and Kaleb Price
Former Seraphite, Former FEDRA officer | 19, 27 | Current location ;; Washington

Kaleb felt ten years old again. The fear and anger bubbling inside at these people who ripped his life apart. The same people that terrorized and killed his. But that wasn’t who he was anymore. He’d left that life, left it all behind. He realized that everyone was different, and not whatever their pasts were. It was hard. It was scary. And he didn’t want to hurt his new family member. Kaleb’s eyes widened as he went to seek Carlos for comfort when he felt arms around him. Tears slipped down his face as he hugged Nate back. Nate. Not a Firefly anymore. Just like he wasn’t FEDRA anymore. He was just Kaleb. “I’m sorry.” Kaleb said quietly, holding onto Nate tightly. “I’m so sorry.” He added, clinging to Nate like the apologies he tried to give could help at all. Could make him basically denying his past and the people who had once worn those tags better, make it hurt Nate less than it had. Kaleb just clung to Nate, body shaking slightly from the emotions racking his body.​