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

[EquineGurl23]

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

Alex looked at Nate and laughed. “I’m glad there are so many spots you’re willing to risk for me.” He noticed the attempted arm pat and smiled. “I will try my best to keep you informed if we are fighting infected. You will have first knowledge of any potential maimings.” Alex said with a chuckle. ​

 

[icedthemoon]

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

“How kind of you!” Nate exclaimed. He felt like all he did was laugh anymore, and that was pretty crazy. He had always been a fun kind of fellow, but now they even joked about maimings. That was how you knew things weren’t so bad after all. He gave up the pat and grabbed Alex’s hand instead. He pulled it closer to him, or maybe pulled himself closer to Alex, and threw their hands in the air. “I’ll be sure to be really paying attention and not get distracted when we inevitably don’t actually stick together.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

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

Alex grinned as he listened to Nate. “I’m glad you think so.” He said with a laugh. Even laughing about fights with infected now made Alex feel like things were okay. “Maybe we should have a rule that we can’t leave each other alone anymore?” He said, jokingly as Nate took Alex’s hand, pulling them closer together. He just wasn’t sure who moved, but he didn’t care. He laughed as Nate threw their hands in the air.​

 

[icedthemoon]

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

“Okay, got it.” Nate brought their hands back down to just above him as he spoke. “The new rule is that we can never be more than five feet from the other. We can tie a rope or something to us. I don’t currently have a rope, but if we find one, we can tie it. That way, when one of us starts to wander, it will yank on the other,” for demonstration purposes, he pulled on their connected arms, “and he will be reminded to be good a good partner and stick with his buddy.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

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

Alex felt Nate move their hands to just above his head. He nodded, even as he laughed, “Got it. Maybe instead of rope, we just hold onto each other’s hands.” He said, realizing what he said and froze but then he shook his head. Oh well, it’s not the worst suggestion he’s had.​

 

[icedthemoon]

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

Nate broke into a laugh so loud he would scare away any creatures if they happened to be nearby. And also might attract any unwanted friends if they were close enough. Thank goodness this was not where infested tended to travel. That was the silliest idea he had ever heard. “How exactly do you suggest that we get anything done if we’re attached like this? That would be some fight don’t you think?” He could see it now, then trying to sneak up on a clicker but falling over each other. “Like how are you going to use your bow?”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

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

Alex laughed as well, the sight in his head now. “Well, obviously we’d have to let go when we’re fighting. Similarly though, if we have a rope tied around us, we’d have to cut it if we needed to dodge in two different directions.” Alex pointed out.​

 

[icedthemoon]

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

That was a fair point. Both of these options had their ups and downs. They stayed close when they needed to and had to break whatever it was to get away if necessary. “Okay, so we go back to the first plan, no more than five feet unless under extenuating circumstances which can be defined as things such as imminent death. I will forgive you for rolling out of our five foot zone then and ONLY then.” With that settled, he brought their collective hands to his cheek and rolled his face onto them, nestling like he had before. He yawned, blinking several times. “Well I’m just tuckered. What about you?”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

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

Alex nodded looking at Nate. “I think that’s a good compromise. And I too will forgive you for leaving that five feet under threat of death.” He said. Alex smiled, seeing him take their hands to his cheek and rolled his face on them. Alex yawned too, looking at him. “I’m very tuckered out myself. Should we move back to the camp or hope our packs are still there in the morning and stay here?” He asked.​

 

[icedthemoon]

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

Nate groaned, rolled his little self all the way over onto his stomach, and then groaned again like you do. “We probably should be at least with the packs. And away from the open sky above us.” He sort of gestured behind him and up to the sky. “All those flying infected will see us.” He sighed, rolled back up, and stared at Alex with sleepy eyes that made his face kind of droopy. “Or we ignore all the packs- who even needs all those beans and also all of our weapons and also the supplies and also the sleeping bag for when I inevitably get cold? I don’t need it.” He grabbed the edge of the blanket and rolled straight into Alex with a sleepy giggle. “See, I have you and a blanket. I’m set. Never mind, world. Take the packs, Take to the sky! I’m sleeping.” He laughed against the side of Alex’s chest, which is approximately where he landed, and then just kept laughing. The sleepy giggles were strong in this one once they started.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

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

Alex looked at Nate, shaking his head. “There is no flying infected” He said with a small laugh. He knew their packs would be fine, they weren’t even that far from them. He laughed again as Nate ended up rolling against his side. “Yeah, who needs our entire survival stash.” Alex said with a yawn. “Alright laughy, go to sleep. I’m right behind you.” Alex said, he could feel himself falling asleep, enjoying having Nate right beside him.​

 

[icedthemoon]

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

With a yawn so big he could have swallowed a deer whole, Nate couldn’t help but laugh again, but he really was very tired, and if they wanted to make any kind of progress tomorrow, they needed to actually sleep today. No fighting it for now. So he curled against Alex, nestling into the blanket he haphazardly wrapped around himself, and let his eyes close and mind drift. Before he fell asleep, he tried to ask if Alex promised to be right there when he woke up, but his brain was too far gone, and he never got to ask.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

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

Alex felt Nate curl against his side and he wished that time would stop so he could always feel this. Alex finally felt himself fall asleep. It was a peaceful, dreamless sleep, soothing and wonderful.

He felt the warmth of the sun shining down on top of them and he felt his eyes open. At some point, he must’ve shifted because he was on his side, facing Nate and apparently he decided to wrap an arm around the other man. Did Alex wanna move? Nope. Did he want to enjoy this? Yep. He didn’t really understand why, but he stayed just how he was, and closed his eyes again, relaxing at the moment.​

 

[icedthemoon]

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

Nate had one of those dreams where everything was very serious, there was a lot at stake, and if he were to attempt to repeat it when he woke up, he would only remember pieces that in no way fit together making him sound like he absolutely lost his mind. When his mind awoke at some point, it felt too bright for night but not bright enough for day, he remembered the feeling of urgency and lack of control. He could not remember specifics. He was not sure who was there, what anyone did, or why anything was happening, but he could feel the weight of whatever it was still on his chest.

He could also feel a grounding pressure somewhere on top of him. It was more than the blanket, and though he was awake enough to know it was an arm- deduced via approximate size, weight, and warmth, he was not awake enough to register exactly what was happening. In his sleepy state, what he knew was that he felt off, like something was wrong or going to be wrong very soon, and he had a protective barrier right there. So, like one does when they are searching for comfort, he rolled into his barrier of security, ramming face into warmth. He was not sure what he found, but he knew whoever it was would be there. He would be safe. And so, eyes still closed, he tried to make sense of his life, and also felt himself drifting in and out.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

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

Alex had almost drifted back into sleep when he felt something ram into him. His arm instinctively wrapped tighter as he held on. He knew it had to be Nate, but he didn’t really care. He was quite content with this. He didn’t know why his heart rate had picked up but he didn’t care. He had Nate basically curled tight to him and his arm around him. In the moment everything had settled into peace. He closed his eyes again, this time resting his head on Nate as he held him. He could feel himself drifting towards sleep again.​

 

[icedthemoon]

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

The dream never came back to him other than that sense of urgency. The feeling like if he did not do something, everything would go awry. For several minutes, he lay there in the in between of waking and sleeping, mind wandering in and out of a conscious and unconscious thought. Thoughts like a song stuck in his head that he did not realize until just now. An old song his mama used to sing. Thoughts like the memory of what felt like claws raking through layers until they reached skin. Bruises to match. Thoughts like stepping under the moonlight to suddenly transform into a creature with a medical supply bag. At some point, he realized that he was awake. Nate shifted slightly, attempting to find himself in their baron sea. He was against his protective barrier. His… oh, this was Alex. Still running off of the fumes of sleep, he did not have the capacity to be embarrassed by the very obvious way that he attached himself. Though, Alex’s arm held him close. That was the kind of thing that made him question every feeling that he had. Was this Alex being protective? Was he being kind? Was he doing the equivalent of sharing his sleeping bag with those who needed it? Nate may have primarily shared some more intimate spaces with his family, but he also occasionally found himself in situations with people he knew less well. As the person that he was – a self-proclaimed, highly qualified medic with zero personal space – he never hesitated to make those tougher suggestions. Someone needs patching in a particular inconvenient spot? Well, you still need patching. In fact, Nate had seen a whole lot of a whole lot of people, and he remembered very little about the body even if he remembered much about the injuries. Was it literally freezing, and they needed to survive? Body warmth trapped in a sleeping bag was how they were going to do it, and it did not matter that they were just barely acquaintances. That moment earned him respect when they made it back to the Firefly camp.

He knew his own reasons. He understood his own motivations. What were Alex’s? It was too early to start questioning the intent of his more than a little comfortable pillow. Wake up, Nate. Stop dreaming. He knew yesterday this was going to be the struggle from here on out. He could feel it inside him that this was no longer a simple travel with your temporary companion until you reach your destination situation like literally every other one he had over the years, and he traveled temporarily with a lot of people. This was something bigger, deeper than he expected when they first started. But was it something beautiful? Yes, of course. Could he keep it that way?

He hoped.

He opened his eyes, and there was Alex. His monkey man there to guide him out of the darkness and into the light. For just a moment, he remembered the idea of a shared farmhouse, raising livestock, riding horses, and growing crops. He remembered feasts of food spread out on a long table for only them to share. And then he thought of the Fireflies who were waiting for him in Seattle. Well, not so much waiting, but they needed more people. That was what he heard. They were there, and if more of them came, maybe they could do something real. Maybe they could stand up against the FEDRAs of this broken world and find a way to fix it again. He could not get distracted by kind and playful eyes marred by scars of a past he could never truly understand. But he was. He was horribly distracted by the way Alex blushed. By the way he smiled and laughed. By the way he carried himself confidently across a world he never knew before. So distracted that without realizing it, he was staring at his face, fingers running through hair, slowly and gently. It was going to absolutely break Nate’s heart if they did end up apart. Even if Alex promised to join him, as much as he wanted that to be true, he knew that it was unfair to ask that of someone before they even got to see who it was. It was a dream.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

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

His eyes opened a few moments later when he felt fingers running through his hair. He’d worked hard to get it to grow back, glad he did now. It felt comforting, it felt safe, it felt like heaven. He looked at Nate, his eyes soft and right then he knew. He could never left this man leave his side. He would find ways to keep them together. Alex knew, as he held onto Nate, that if they split, he’d probably be broken. His eyes would never hold that playful brightness when he was around Nate. “Good morning.” He said quietly, voice thick with sleep still.​

 

[icedthemoon]

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

The whole world brightened when Alex opened his eyes. It was like the sun shone bright just for them. “Mm, good morning,” he purred as he played with the hair that lay gently between his fingers. Soft like the silk of sheets left in unbothered houses. Few were so well preserved, but he remembered one from long ago. It was in one of those gated communities that took effort to get int even without the power on. They needed a place to stay, and this place was huge and beautiful. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. Houses looked like that all the time, his mama told him. Nothing was decaying and broken. Everything was nice like that. And he laid on this bed, too small but he didn’t care, with the comfiest sheets he had ever felt. He was sure if there was a heaven like his mama told him, it would be filled with sheets like that. And comfy mattresses. And beautiful rooms. And feasts with an abundance of food.

And Alex.

“How did you sleep?” He still watched his fingers as they ran through Alex’s hair. He loved the way the strands fell like a waterfall.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

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

Alex was entranced by the feeling of Nate’s fingers in his hair. It was a feeling he didn’t want to go away. Of course, Alex was just entranced by Nate anyway. He smiled at him, hearing the way he spoke that just drove his heart rate up. He knew he wasn’t moving anytime soon, not while he had Nate close and his fingers running through Alex’s hair.

“I slept well. Very peaceful. How about you? How are you feeling?” He asked, not able to help the concern in his voice as he asked.​

 

[icedthemoon]

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

How did he feel? Like a the siren of the compound was blaring, but it was lost somewhere distant and hazy. Like he should remember the dangers surrounding him, waiting for him just on the other side of a door he had to walk through, but he walked through a threshold and now he only knew that he searched for safety. Like, mmm, like he just woke up from a dream that could not decide if it was a nightmare or a reality he would sorely miss.

He watched the last strands fall from his fingers as he pulled them away like the world was in slow motion. He ran his fingertips along the outline of Alex’s face, starting at his temple, working down to cheek and jaw until finally he reached the tip of his chin. He grinned, pulling his fingers away just to bop that chin tip. “Like I have a very warm blanket.” He shifted his body to draw attention to the blanket he still held around him from when he stole it. “No wonder you don’t need anything else to keep you from freezing to death.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

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

Alex watched as Nate slowly moved his fingers from his hair, down from his temple along his cheek and jaw until he reached Alex’s chin. Alex let out a small laugh when Nate bopped the tip of his chin. “I’m glad the blanket kept you warm.” He said with a smile. “It’s definitely the biggest reason I don’t freeze when using my jacket as a pillow” He admitted.​

 

[icedthemoon]

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

He stretched out his arms, trying very hard not to smack into Alex with them being so close. Again. Always. Then, once his arms felt better, he rolled away from home companion, groaned at the extrication he caused for himself, and started to stretch out his legs. “I might just steal that if you’re not careful,” Nate mused as he tested the leg with the most damage. It was better. He would be sore today, and traveling would not be on his list of the most fun times, but he would be alright. Probably. “You never know what could happen when you’re not looking.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

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

Alex didn’t want Nate to leave his side. But he knew that they needed to get up, and get moving. Yesterday was a nice break from the crazy in the world, but it was time. He watched for a moment as Nate tested and stretched his legs. Alex snorted a laugh as he heard him say that he might steal the blanket. If Alex had his way, he wouldn’t have to because they’d share it. “I’d watch yourself, the last person you tried to take my blanket, I fed to the infected.” He warned, trying to keep the teasing nature out of his words.​

 

[icedthemoon]

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

Nate tried very hard not to laugh, and to his own surprise, he was mostly successful other than the smile he hid by not facing Alex. He hefted himself up into a sitting position, stretching his back now. It had been a while since he slept on the ground without the extra cushion of the sleeping bag, though, honestly, it wasn’t all that different than the blanket with how old and worn it was. “Oh, is that right?” He asked, stretching. He pulled himself up into a standing position, and tested how much he thought his back was going to be able to take. Nothing too fast. “Well, that’s good to know. “Good thing I’m used to having run ins with the infected.” While still facing away, he worked into his saddest face he could possibly manage before turning around to him and staring down at Alex. “Would you really feed me to them, because I wanted to be warm?” He tried to make his voice as small and sad as possible.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

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

Alex looked over as Nate stretched his back. “That’s right.” He affirmed, keeping his gaze on Nate. He watched as Nate stood up, his eyes looking for any signs of discomfort that Nate would try and hide from him. “Good, then you know how it will end if I feed you to them.” Alex said, before Nate turned to look at him with the saddest face Alex has ever seen. “Hmm. I might be convinced to maybe keep you alive.” He said with a grin.​