Songs: Santigold - Disparate Youth
Foals - Mountain at My Gates

Chapter is NSFW.

------

"Do the thing." Evan requested and he shivered when Jonathan leaned in close from behind and kissed just beneath his ear.

Evan sighed, "Fuck me."

Jonathan grinned and whispered, "I am."

Evan bit at his lip, "Harder, please."

Jonathan moved a bit faster, but he refused to hurt him like Evan really wanted him to. He gripped his hips tight when Evan tried to push back against him with more force.

"No."

Evan arched his back, "Yes. Fucking scratch me or something."

"I said no."

"Bite me?"

"No."

Jonathan ran his hand up his back and let his fingers wrap around his neck carefully. He pulled him toward him, making the angle that much more intense and he knew it would be enough for him. For now at least.

"Yes. Choke me?"

Jonathan moved even faster, "No."

"Ah! Yes! Fuck! Please?!"

"No."

"Yes!" Evan was gasping for air now like Jonathan knew he would be. He reached around and stroked him until his legs started to shake.

"Oh God, oh shit!" Evan reached and grabbed at Jonathan's messy hair and moaned wildly through his orgasm.

Jonathan let his own roll through him and spoke quietly, "See? That wasn't so bad now was it?"

Evan groaned and sank to the couch in front of him as he caught his breath. He flipped Jonathan off and tried to push him with his foot, but the man caught it in his hand. Jonathan smiled slowly at the panic in Evan's eyes.

"Don't you fucking dare." Evan squinted, but Jonathan brought his other hand up, menacingly, preparing to tickle his foot. "Please! No!"

But Jonathan had to do it, just once. He had to know how far Evan would go to make him stop, he had to know how hard he would laugh. It was pretty much a law in a relationship to tickle your partner at least one time. Evan yelled and kicked and flailed from where he was on the couch. Jonathan let his foot go and leaned down to grab his sides and Evan barely missed his face with his elbow.

"You almost took my fucking eye out!" Jonathan laughed when Evan threw his head back and laughed so hard he couldn't breathe and had tears in his eyes.

Evan sucked in a breath and pleaded, "Stop! Please! I can't breathe!"

But as soon as he pulled back, Evan smiled up at him and pulled him down, kissing him wetly, slipping his tongue past his. Jonathan drank him in and sighed against his face. He loved this. If he thought hard enough about it, he could imagine them being home in his living room and not in a stranger's abandoned house cleaning themselves up and slipping on their clothes, getting ready to run again.

But reality always came creeping back in each time he opened his eyes. It didn't really matter, because as long as he had Evan right there in front of him, he was happy no matter where they were.

"How's your arm?" Jonathan looked over at him as he pulled a shirt on.

Evan hissed a little as he lifted his arm to pull the shirt down, "It's tender. But I'm fine."

"You are." Jonathan grinned, standing in front of him, brushing his hair back with one hand.

Evan smiled, "You're cute."

Jonathan leaned in a kissed him slow, letting his fingers run up his arms until he felt goosebumps. He pulled back with a light sigh, opening his eyes to the only thing he wanted to see anymore. The one thing he loved.

"Let's get going. We need to stay on the ground. You can't climb with that arm."

Evan nodded and tightened Jonathan's strap across his chest for him. He pulled his own pack over his head and smiled at him cheerfully. Jonathan still had a lot to learn about him. Sometimes it baffled him how Evan could be so fucking chipper all the time despite everything that was happening around them, despite him getting a bullet through his arm, despite being stuck in a game. He was a work of art, figuratively and physically and Jonathan wanted to study every detail that made him so.

"Hey." Evan hit him on the arm with the back of his hand, "Come on, stop thinking about me."

Evan ran off down the stairs with a laugh while Jonathan followed him, smiling to himself because it was true and he'd probably never stop thinking about him or that stupid, attractive personality that made him so irresistible.

------

The sun still had two more hours before it would be looming directly above them. It was still bright, casting deep shadows in the alleyways to either side of them as they ventured out. Once they were in the narrow streets, dust blowing around them with the cool breeze, Jonathan pulled out his walkie.

"Lui. Marcel. Check in."

A moment passed before he got a response, "We're here. Route A was compromised. Take Route B. We've got another mile to the tower, we'll keep you updated. Let us know if you run into trouble and we'll circle back around."

"Alright. Take care, we're on the move." Jonathan paused before he changed the frequency. "Langley."

The radio crackled to life, "It's Murph. You guys coming back yet? I'm getting really bored."

"We're coming. Lui and Marcel are almost there. Keep an eye out for trouble."

"Sure thing, Dad."

Jonathan shook his head, "Why am I the dad?"

"I mean, I would definitely call you Daddy but sadly that privilege only belongs to Evan." She said, clearly smirking.

Evan laughed in the background when Jonathan glanced back at him with a raised brow. "Don't get any ideas."

"Oh, I've got plenty of ideas baby." Evan wiggled his eyebrows and laughed again when Jonathan grimaced.

"Don't even call me 'baby'. My name is Jonathan, let's keep it that way." He holstered the radio and started off down the road and he was waiting for Evan to say it. His eyes just about rolled into the back of his head when he finally did.

"Whatever you say, Daddy.

------

The alternate route through the streets was clear with the exception of a few suspicious noises and the occasional slamming of a shutter, courtesy of the cool wind. They both kept their defenses up as they jogged steadily through the narrow passages to avoid the main roads. Jonathan had a feeling they were being watched, but as usual there was no one in sight when they looked around.

"You know, when people feel like they're being watched, they're usually right. It's a sense, not just paranoia." Evan rambled off.

"Yeah, I know. I don't feel good about this run." Jonathan commented and pulled out his map. "Let's go Route C instead. It's slower but it has more cover. The safer you are, the better I'll feel."

"Ughh." Evan groaned, "You're so fucking sweet."

"Do you not like it?" Jonathan smirked and started off on the alternate path.

"No." Evan sighed as he jogged to keep up. "I love it."

------

Murphy was twiddling her thumbs, legs dangling from the window of the safehouse as she waited for someone to show up. The air was getting colder by the day and she couldn't even tell you what month it was anymore. Late November? December maybe? Langley had brought her a light jacket and a Tupperware bowl of food for her before she went back into the tower.

Things had been quiet ever since the boys left the day before. No sign of life anywhere, it was even pretty quiet that night. A few dead here and there but nothing chaotic. It all seemed to be dying down but they knew not to let their guard down for anything anymore.

Her heart jumped to life when she saw someone on the rooftops in the distance. She pulled her rifle out and at the same time she heard two familiar voices down below. Lui waved up at her cheerfully and she motioned them to the tower.

"Get inside. Fast."

They didn't question it and took off running through the gate that Bryce opened for them. She put her eye to the scope and focused on the runner that wasn't one of their three that was out that day. This man was tall, with a nice build, and a thick dark beard. He stopped in front of a drop box. Murphy switched to single shot rounds and steadied the gun against the window sill. She aimed with her finger on the trigger.

Murphy took a deep breath, "Eat shit, asshole."

The gun fired and she saw the round meet the man's leg. He dropped with a painful yell that echoed through the streets below. The guy started to crawl away. Murphy slung the gun over her shoulder and jumped from the window, using the crosswalk they'd made on the rooftops to cross the gap between buildings. The guy dropped out of sight as she got closer to her target, but once she approached he was already gone. Not that he could've gotten far but the supplies were more important. She loaded up the duffle and hauled it all the way back to the tower where she was met with questions. The bag hit the floor and the others started sorting it.

"We can't do drop boxes anymore. They're taking chances and trying to steal what's in them. I just shot a guy in the leg, but he got away." She sighed and pulled her hair back in a hair tie.

"Okay. We'll tell the boys when they get back. Good going, Murph." Marcel grinned and clapped her on the shoulder.

"Thanks. Felt amazing to put a bullet in one of them. Wish it had been that other asshole, though." She huffed and looked Lui over. "You guys okay? How was it out there?"

Lui shrugged, "We were in a shootout with some guys, but we all got out relatively safe. Evan got a bullet in the arm but nothing crippling. Through and through."

"Shit, I knew that wasn't just thunder yesterday. So, how far away are they? Did they get the virus?"

Marcel nodded and took the bag off his shoulder, "They got it. It's in a jar, in a bag, inside another bag, inside of my bag."

"Inception bag." Langley said as she stepped off the elevator. Marcel handed it off to her and watched her head back up to David.

"He gave it to me because if anyone was to be ambushed it would probably be them two and not us. I think that guy has a bone to pick with both of them. Evan shot him in the leg and Jonathan is a leader, so you know." Marcel shrugged and took a seat, kicking his shoes off. Scotty walked over and leaned down, giving him a kiss.

"I'm glad you're back in one piece."

"Yeah, me too."

------

"Should we go check it out?" Evan whispered after they had ducked down inside a doorway. The piercing crack of a gun going off was unmistakable in a quiet wasteland and the scream that followed meant the bullet had hit it's target.

"Let's give it a few minutes." Jonathan decided and they walked at a steady pace in the same direction the sound had echoed from. After five minutes he put the radio to his lips.

"Murphy, did you hear that?"

Her response came through, crackling slightly, "Yeah, I just shot one of them trying to get into a drop box. He got away. There have to be more around because there's no way he ran with a bullet in his leg. Be careful out there, hurry back."

"Alright, we're close. Be there soon."

Evan grabbed his arm suddenly and held a finger to his lips, "Shh, you hear that?"

Jonathan turned his head and listened and what met his ears was the faint sound of shuffling and grunts. His heart skipped a beat before he pointed to an open door and pushed Evan in it's direction. They pressed themselves against the wall just inside the doorframe and listened as the sound grew louder.

"God dammit, if I ever get my hands on that bitch!" A man's voice carried through the buildings. They were close.

"What did you expect, dumbass?" Another voice asked, like he was tired of the other's carelessness.

"Fuck! Stop going so fast!"

"Will you shut up! The boss is gonna be mad as hell anyway, he doesn't need to hear your bitching, too!"

Their voices were right outside the doorway.

"I have a bullet in my leg, you dick."

"Yeah, so does he. Apparently that's their specialty."

"He probably won't even let the doc help me. Probably just feed me to the dead and get it over with."

The other man sighed dramatically as they passed by, "Max, please shut the hell up. You're one of our biggest guys, he won't let you go that easily."

"Sometimes I wish he would. This place is bullshit."

"Oh my God, that's it. Walk by yourself."

There was a scuffle, the sound of shoes slipping on dirt, and someone losing their balance. "Adam! You slut, don't leave me!"

------

Evan and Jonathan both waited until their bickering faded and they almost couldn't hear it anymore, then they ran. They didn't need anymore altercations for now. The cold air was stinging their throats.

They passed by an old building that made bad memories surface in Evan's mind. An image of a woman in a pool of her own blood, a baby on the way, not enough daylight, not enough air filling his lungs, his legs burning, Jonathan pulling him through the gate. He remember being covered in so much blood and being filled with fear, the baby crying against his chest, pulling Jonathan's mask over his face, the look he gave him. Those nights, he hardly slept, thinking of Livia lying there lifeless, body ready to be taken by the dead, teeth sinking into her still warm flesh. He understood why it all happened the way it did, but it still lingered in his head every now and then.

Evan blinked, trying to focus on the road ahead of him as he ran behind the runner that continued to save his life and keep him from sinking. But he began to sink if he thought for too long. He reached a hand out and grabbed Jonathan's arm and when he slowed to a stop and turned, Evan grabbed his face and placed a kiss against his mouth. His thoughts cleared and he couldn't feel anything but the body heat he offered. He pulled away, still winded from running.

Jonathan breathed in deep, "What was that for?"

Evan shook his head and started walking, "Just needed to stop thinking for a second."

"Thinking about what?"

Evan stopped and turned, "Everything. You keep me from slipping into that old familiar state of mind that I really don't need to be in ever again. It gets bad."

Jonathan had his hands on his hips as he breathed. The memory of Evan telling him about his suicidal side surfaced and he cleared his head. Then he wiped at the sweat on his face with his shirt. He stepped forward and grabbed Evan behind the neck and kissed him a bit slower this time.

Jonathan pulled away and looked at him, "You do the same thing for me. If you ever need me, I don't care what I'm doing or where we are . . . tell me."

Evan swallowed and gave him a small nod with his hand wrapped around his wrist. "Okay. What if I want you to be rough with me?"

Jonathan watched him crack a smile as he returned to his normal self. "That's what you want, not what you need and I said no."

Jonathan walked past him and started jogging again. Evan ran behind him. "But it's so hot!"

"I don't care. Come on, we need to get back." He kept going, ignoring Evan's pitiful whining behind his back.

"You should stop running in front of me then! All it does is turn me on!"

------

The lobby was full of light chatter and the shuffling of cards as Arlan's small group entertained themselves in the corner. Ryan had taken to Marcel, who was teaching him how to sharpen dull blades and polish them until they almost blinded you.

Langley was cleaning random things to keep herself occupied and when she was done everyone lined up for a haircut. She'd kept the other side of her head shaved because she didn't want to forget what happened. She'd always have the scars on her head, too.

Murphy still thought it was badass. She was sitting on the floor watching Lui lace up her shoes in a different pattern so she didn't have to tie them anymore. He was a great friend, they all were and she started to think about what was going to happen if they ever got out. Would they separate or stay in touch? Would they be killed or payed for their silence?She shrugged it off and kept her eyes on the strings as Lui threaded them through the holes of her shoes.

Lucah was standing at the front doors, looking out at the gate, waiting patiently for her two humans. When she started to paw at the floor and do a small dance, Arlan got to his feet and looked to see two figures just beyond the gate. He unlocked the door and followed Lucah's excitement and opened the gate for the runners.

The dog ran out and greeted them with licks and a whine. Evan crouched and took her kisses and patted her platinum fur until she moved on to Jonathan who leaned down when she jumped up, placing her paws on his stomach like she usually did.

"Hey girl, I missed you too." Jonathan smiled down at her and kissed her head, watched her turn in circles as they moved through the gate.

Arlan followed, closing it behind them. "Heard you guys ran into trouble."

"We did, literally." Evan commented and opened the door to the tower, holding it for his favorite person. Jonathan poked him in the gut with a finger and Evan flinched.

"Ow!"

"Drama queen."

Evan stuck his tongue out, "Kiss it and make it better."

Jonathan grinned back at him, "Maybe later."

Evan let the door fall shut behind him once Arlan was in. He locked it and pulled the bag over his head, sighing as he sank into a chair. "So. What's up?"

"Nothing." Langley answered, "You want a haircut?"

"Sure. But not too short, Jonathan likes to run his fingers through it." He winked when Jonathan looked over at him with a raised brow, but he smirked a second later.

Evan's lips pulled back into a smile, "Pulls it sometimes, too."

Murphy burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. Langley giggled with her, watching the look on Jonathan's face. "That's cute."

Jonathan sat back in his chair and motioned Evan to him with a finger. "Come here."

The Asian sauntered over, confident, because he didn't care. He'd tell them all how amazing the sex was if they asked. He looked down at Jonathan sitting there like perfection, long legs spread wide, until he grabbed Evan's shirt on his chest and yanked him down. Evan felt the heat in his face because their noses were touching and he could see every ounce of blue in his eyes.

"Take it down a notch." Jonathan said and saw Evan grin slyly before he pulled him forward the extra inch and kissed him in front of everyone. Jonathan pulled his lips away and shoved him back lightly, "Now go away, you leech."

"You know damn well that'll never happen." Evan said giddily and sat on the floor between the man's legs and laid his head back on his lap.

Jonathan knew he'd never leave him alone and he loved it. He grinned to himself because he remembered when that's all he tried to do was run from him. He leaned over and kissed him upside down and when he sat back Evan was smiling like an idiot again.

"Peter Parker, you're my hero." Evan giggled to himself cracking an eye open before Jonathan covered them with his hands. He tried to bite at his fingers but Jonathan kept moving them at the right time.

"Stop it, you dick."

Evan wiggled and got comfortable before he finally left him alone, oblivious to everyone watching them like they were a reality show, grinning to themselves.

Jonathan looked over at Murphy and Lui who just sat there smiling. He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I know. Anyway, does David have the virus yet?"

Lui nodded and slipped Murphy's shoes on her feet to test them out. "He has it. Now we wait until he gives us news. This is going to take awhile. What do we do in the meantime?"

Murphy wiggled her toes and looked over at him, "We can't do drop boxes anymore since they're trying to take our supplies."

Jonathan sighed, "Yeah, I know. I've been thinking about it and I guess we need to start heading further out, go into the city."

"That's a long run though." Evan commented lazily as Jonathan's fingers stayed in his hair.

"We'd have to stay out overnight. As far as supplies go, we can set up drop points and have runners stationed at each one. We gather supplies, hand them off to one person, then they head to the next person, repeat until the supplies have been run back to the tower. Like an assembly line. That way the supplies are never sitting out in the open."

"That's smart." Langley agreed as she trimmed Scotty's dirty blonde hair. "What about going through the sewers?"

"Not a good idea." Arlan piped in from across the room. "They still use the sewers to get around at night. There's no telling if you'll run into one of them while you're down there."

Evan pointed at his bag on the floor, "Get the map out of there and draw the sewer line as best as you can. Just in case we ever need to use it and so we can avoid entry and exit points they may be coming in and out of."

Arlan wasted no time, pushing himself to his feet and digging around in Evan's bag. He opened the map and laid it across the floor, catching a pen that Bryce tossed at him. The sewer system was very intricate and he only drew what he remembered. He left out the smaller tunnels that you couldn't even use and made sure he added the parts where the other group had blocked off hoards of screamers.

------

Hours passed as they sorted through things and moved them upstairs. Jonathan walked around and checked on everyone while they had nothing to do. Bryce was back in the otherwise empty tech room, the same one he always occupied with Criag. Instead, Ryan was by his side learning whatever he could in the meantime. Cody was there as well, pulling apart random devices they had found, scrounging for parts. David, Brock, and Anthony had their eyes glued to microscopes, going through slides left and right, jotting down notes. Jonathan didn't disturb them as he walked by.

The children were already riled up when he made his way inside the nursery. Evan was on the floor playing with the cat, Laffy who kept pouncing at his hand when he wiggled it on the floor on front of him. Jonathan smiled and picked up the little girl that for whatever reason seemed to favor him. She jumped into his arms and sat on his hip, placing a paper flower behind his ear.

"Thank you."

She smiled. Her hair was chocolate brown, her eyes hazel, and her smile too happy for a child who had no family. But Jonathan was glad she could find peace in a place where there was little hope. He let her down and took the drawings she handed him that he added to his collection when he got back to his bunk.

Evan fell down beside him in the bed and threw his arm over his stomach with a sigh. "Hey."

Jonathan ran his fingers up his arm. "Hey. How's your arm?"

"It's fine just like it was fine this morning."

"Okay."

Evan lifted his head and looked at him, "You're cute, worrying about me."

"Why wouldn't I?" Jonathan turned his head and looked up at him feeling sleep settling in.

"You used to hate me, you know."

Jonathan grinned, "I never hated you. You were just obnoxious. Still are."

Evan smirked before he leaned down to kiss him. "I know. I was never like this before this place."

"That's still really hard to believe."

Evan laid on his back, getting comfortable. "I was usually in my room by myself most of the time listening to music. Day dreaming about where else I could be but there. Other than that I was being forced to go to socialist parties, business shit on yachts. Bored the hell out of me. My mom was always trying to introduce me to every rich girl she met all while I was eyeing the tall guys in clean cut suits, wondering. Needless to say nothing exciting ever happened. I hated my life."

Jonathan made more room for him on the small bed, "So, where are you from?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, not where you're from. You're ethnicity. Are you Korean?"

Evan scratched his nose, "Yeah, part Korean and Chinese. We used to live in Canada before Dad uprooted us and moved us to California for his business. It was a big change, but I was like ten, so I thought it was awesome at the time. Did you always live in North Carolina?"

Jonathan shook his head, "No. We moved to Virginia for a while when I was younger, but we moved back eventually. So the scenery was pretty much the same. My life has been pretty bland apart from all the shit me and Tyler used to get into."

Jonathan laughed to himself, "We made a bicycle gang one time. All we did was ride around town with a bunch of other kids and go get sodas and ice cream, then hang out at the skate park. We thought we were so cool."

"What did you do before all of this?"

Jonathan shrugged, "I worked on computers and did web design on and off. Enough to get me by. Otherwise I was in the woods, hiking or camping."

"Alone?"

"Yeah. It gave me inspiration. I'd go home and paint something new on my walls. Makes me wonder if my house is still my house. Like, have I been missing for so long they've given up and put it on the market? Did they paint over all my shit?"

Evan stared at the ceiling, "That's a good question. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm just thinking out loud. But I know my mom would refuse to let my house go. She probably took up a second job to pay for it. My sisters probably would too. All they have is each other now. My older brother probably came home again to help take care of them. I can't stand thinking about it. I don't want them thinking they've lost someone else. Losing my dad was hard enough on them."

Evan brushed his hand over Jonathan's cheek, "You'll see them again. I know you will. If they're as tough as you are, I know they'll be fine until you get back to them."

"Always so optimistic."

Evan grinned, "So are you, when it comes to reassuring me that we'll survive this."

"We will."

"Yeah, we will." Evan sighed, "But what if we get separated?"

Jonathan gave a slight shake of his head, "Not gonna happen. I'll fight everyone."

Evan smiled and then ducked his head down until he was nestled in the crook of Jonathan's neck. He pressed his teeth together because he was starting to feel the tightness in his chest again, the feeling that always came when he became so full of emotion but he was forcing it down. Those words was there in the front of his mind and all he really wanted to do was say it. There was nothing that would ever compare to way Jonathan made him feel but he knew that he'd hold it all in until it burst. It would probably happen at a very inappropriate or inconvenient time if luck had it's way and it almost always did in his case.

Evan let out the breath he had been holding and let Jonathan's shirt loose, the shirt he had been blindly gripping in his hand the whole time. His tongue was between his teeth and it hurt but he had never been so close to telling Jonathan just how much he loved him. Everything in him told him not to so he did his best to listen.

He knew Jonathan could feel his body tensing up but the man didn't say anything. What he did do was almost enough to push Evan over the edge. Jonathan cradled his face in his hand, his breath a whisper as it brushed past his lips. All he did was look at him, but it was like he knew what Evan was holding back and for a second he looked scared. Like he'd been fighting the same battle in his head, like he was biting his tongue just as hard.

They stared at one another for a long minute, just breathing and Evan knew he couldn't say it. Not until he knew that Jonathan wouldn't run away if he did. The man's anger and guilt didn't seem so fragile anymore, but Evan still didn't want to accidentally flip a switch and send him soaring back into his own head with his dangerous thoughts. Even though Jonathan said he'd never run again, he was too important and meant too much to him for Evan to even risk it.

So, he kept his thoughts to himself and leaned down into Jonathan's lips and they kissed each other until their lips were raw. They had made a pact to never run from each other and yet they still managed to find a way. Even when they were curled around each other in a bed too small and there was hardly any air to breathe.

------

The next few days consisted of setting up the new system they'd constructed to get the supplies and food they found to the tower so they wouldn't have to leave it drop boxes for the taking anymore. They all set out on the rooftops and contributed to building ramps and pathways across the gaps. So instead of jumping blindly across buildings, they had little makeshift bridges. The run would be smooth and consistent; fast and efficient.

Jonathan was packing a bag with twice the usual supplies before he and Evan set out for the city. Arlan came up to him when they made it back down to the lobby. Music was lightly playing through the open room and everything seemed peaceful for the time being.

"I marked the building in the city where they keep the other doctor hostage. They probably always have people posted around it, so keep an eye out if you're ever in that area." Arlan said firmly as he opened the door for them.

"Thank you." Jonathan gave him a nod and moved out into the cold air that seemed to be getting colder by the day.

The air stung at their throats as the small group of runners took off through the streets; the city their goal. One by one their group became less as they passed by the switch points where they were to hand off the supplies to another runner. They took their posts and were to wait until they got word the two men were done with the run, then they would all go back. Until then they were on lookout for any sign of the other group.

Evan and Jonathan were forced to move down the road when the favela started to end and more large buildings came into view. The street evened out a bit before it went downhill rather steeply.

"Ooh!" Evan exclaimed and ran into an alley and emerged with two skateboards. "We'll probably die, but let's do it. I used to do this if California but it was like ten times more steep. I still have a scar on my calf from the time I couldn't stop and my board broke and got stuck in my leg. It was awesome."

Jonathan took the board from him, "I think your definition of awesome is completely different from mine. Race you, bitch!"

Jonathan took off down the hill with Evan fumbling to get on his board after him. He was smiling with the rush as they rolled faster and faster. Jonathan was expertly swaying from side to side, breezing easily down the long hill. Evan was close behind, pulling his camera out and snapping a few pictures of the scenery in front of him.

The road evened out again thankfully and they coasted to a stop beside each other. Jonathan took a moment to make a strap for the boards so they could keep them on their backs for later use. It saved them time and much needed daylight. The beach wasn't far off and he could tell from where they were standing that the marinas had been torched. The boats were blackened pillars in the distance.

Evan shook his head, "And the Douche Bag of the Year award goes to . . ."

Jonathan scoffed, "Patterson."

Evan looked around them at the build ings standing tall in the sky; hotels, businesses, and if they were lucky, food marts or clinics.

"Where should we start?" Evan questioned and followed Jonathan as he picked a direction, following the map in his hand.

"Food is the first priority. If we even make it nine more months, we'll need everything we can find."

They were a few miles East of the building Arlan marked as the 'Hostage Doctor', so they kept heading East for good measure until they found some local stores that surprisingly still had a good stock of cans left. The two of them loaded up what they could before it became too heavy. Evan was feeling the pressure on his spine. He stopped on the sidewalk and dropped the bags, taking a breath.

"We have to go all the way back up that hill. Fuck. Then make even more trips back down." He sighed heavily and looked around at all the empty vehicles lying around. "Hold on."

He jogged across the road and looked inside a truck that didn't have a window. He pulled down the visor and felt the relief flood through him when an old set of keys fell into the seat. Evan wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked over at Jonathan when he came up beside him. "Should we risk it? The truck might be loud, but we can fit a lot of food in the bed. We could wrap up this entire run right now. Load up as much as we can, then get back up the hill and start hauling it back bag by bag. We could be done before the sun goes down. What do you think?"

He watched Jonathan glance back down the street, thinking it through. But it didn't take him long. "Yeah, let's do it. See if it has gas, first. If not, I'm sure we can siphon some."

That's exactly what they had to do. Evan puked twice when he got a mouthful accidentally, flipping Jonathan off when he laughed so hard he cried.

"Don't kiss me for like a week, dude." Jonathan joked as they went back for more food until the bed of the truck was loaded down. The streets were dead quiet and desolate, like an empty street during the night as the world slept, trees rustling with an ominous breeze. It made Jonathan feel so restless that he couldn't push down the dread that crept up through the hair on his head. He took a deep breath, not that it cured anything, but it pushed him to turn the key in the ignition. The truck, green, rusty, and relatively loud considering how quiet it was around them, roared to life.

"Keep your guard up. You're the eyes and ears while I get us uphill." Jonathan put it in drive and they started to move. "This thing is gonna get a lot louder as we go up. Honestly, this is the most reckless thing we've done. I know they'll hear it."

"If they haven't been watching us already." Evan added nonchalantly as he checked his gun.

Jonathan looked around uneasily again, "You feel it too, huh?"

Evan didn't answer him, just looked over and gave him look that said he was just as worried. But they were already on their way, so they didn't stop. Jonathan floored it as they reached the hill, the truck hauled them loudly but quickly up the road.

Evan was watching the building pass by to his right and remembered how busy everything used to be. He'd only been there a day, but what he got to see was absolutely stunning. It was colorful and full of life and somewhat comforting. It was a place he could call home if it hadn't died the next day.

He was drifting in his head when he thought he saw a figure standing just inside of an alley between two buildings as they drove past. He sat up and looked back, half hanging out of the window. They passed another building and there was another figure.

He sat back down hard just as they reached the top and the road leveled out again, "Don't ask, just go."

Jonathan gripped the wheel and took off as fast as they could go with the weight they were carrying. Everything flew by and Evan kept his eyes on the mirror, waiting to see if more were coming, but they seemed to be far enough ahead. Jonathan whipped around a few corners, then backed the truck into an alley beside a fire escape. He jumped out of the truck without a word and hauled two bags over shoulder and began climbing. They wasted no time. Desmond was at the top and took the bags from him and took off running to the next guy with orders from Jonathan to bring back more empty duffle bags.

Evan's heart beat faster with each passing minute. Their muscles and energy were pushed to the limit as they hauled more and more up to the top. It was slow work, but Desmond finally came back after four trips with some more bags. He helped them fill them up with the loose cans until there was only about three bags worth left as they headed up the ladder again. Desmond and Evan were at the top when Jonathan heard the crunching of dirt beneath feet.

He stopped and peered around the corner only to see four men coming right at him. His feet moved before he did. They took him all the way down the alley to another intersection between buildings. He turned until he was on another street and up above he could see Evan and Desmond waving at him in question. Jonathan didn't speak just pointed firmly in the direction of the tower and they took off running immediately.

A bullet whizzed by him and pierced the side of a building. Jonathan looked behind him and there he was again, the boss who always hid himself behind a white face mask and a deep grey hoodie. He was huge and Jonathan didn't have to time think, he only had time to run.

So he ran until his legs wouldn't work right anymore, until his lungs couldn't keep up. He stopped and pulled out his map, reading the additions and moving toward the nearest manhole cover. He pried the metal from the ground and dropped down, pulling the lid shut and taking a deep breath of foul air. But he was out of sight and it was enough for now. He followed the map at a slow pace because his legs were tired and the sounds he kept hearing were unnatural.

------

"Should we go back?" Desmond huffed while they kept running, picking up runners along the way. They were almost back to the tower and Evan was trying to keep his cool after he heard gunshots.

"No, he'll be fine. Besides, those guys were only after our supplies and they got a cut of it. They know if they follow us they'll be outnumbered eventually." Evan glanced behind them just in case but he knew they weren't being followed and he knew Jonathan wasn't following them either. He calmed his nerves. Jonathan was fast and smart and was probably already out of sight. Yet, Evan was still worried.

All they could do was wait. Once they were back at the tower, he dumped the bags and went back outside and stood at the gate on watch for what felt like hours. The wind whipped around him as the sun started to slowly lower in the sky. He paced for another thirty minutes before he heard metal scraping metal and ran for the opening manhole cover in the street.

Two hands became visible and Evan knew it was him just by the blue bracelet on his wrist. He slid to a stop and took Jonathan's hands, pulling him out of the dark hole and back into the sunlight. Evan pulled him into an embrace as soon as he was on his feet.

Then he held him at arm's length and looked him over, "Are you okay?"

Jonathan gave him a nod, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"What happened?"

"Four guys came around the corner, the boss shot at me, but I got into the sewer before he caught up. I wasn't followed, were you?"

Evan shook his head and let out a relieved breath, "No, we're all back and safe. I knew it wasn't going to go well, but I didn't think we'd get caught so fast. I'm sorry."

Jonathan pushed at Evan's face lightly, teasing, "Don't worry about it. We got what we went for. They got some of it, too. But we're set for a while. We can take a break. I need one."

"You need a shower." Evan looked him up and down and grimaced at the dark substances on his clothes.

"That'd be nice. Screamers were loose down there by the way. I tore through five, but luckily that was it." Jonathan chuckled at the look of horror on Evan's face and threw an arm over his shoulder, walking them back. "Chill out. Nothing I couldn't handle."

"You can't just tell me to chill out after that, dude. I need to be reassured thoroughly . . . and maybe cuddled. I'm a needy bitch." Evan smiled over at him sweetly.

Jonathan laughed and pulled him closer, "You poor baby."

"Maybe . . . roughly cuddled?"

"No."

"Damn it!"

------

Despite the firefight they'd run into a few hours earlier, Jonathan felt okay. He actually felt pretty amazing and the rest of the group seemed to be getting along better now than they ever had. Arlan and his friends were now fully integrated into the tower. Anthony helped David and Brock. Cody assisted Bryce all hours of the day and helped Ryan around when he needed it. A few others joined Murphy and Langley, keeping themselves occupied by sorting through all the new food and supplies with the help of Desmond and the other defenders.

Another woman from Arlan's group helped Lui walk around and ease the civilians worries. She took it upon herself to start a woman's clinic on one of the floors. She supplied feminine products and gave them advice about anything and everything they came to her about. Her name was Marzia and her skin was as black and beautiful as the night sky, her hair a natural curly fro on her head. She had spunk and gold piercings. Her calm reassuring smile made you feel like she could read the stars if you asked her to. She was a blessing and they were beyond grateful to have her.

Jonathan passed by, watching her work her magic with the locals and thought about how nice it was to have things looking up. This was how it should've been with the boss and his gang. They should've been helping each other out, working together to fight the common enemy. But, Patterson had other plans, therefore they were all destined to struggle.

Jonathan made his way into the mess hall to find it filled with people and he was about to question why, but then he heard music. Evan was smack in the middle of them all trying to learn a Brazilian dance they called the Capoeira. It looked like a martial art as they kicked their legs high in the air and moved swiftly around each other. The other boys were fast and fluid, laughing heartily as Evan nearly tripped himself up.

It was entertaining to watch as the women interfered and started a Samba, pulling others in with them. The whole room was filled with culture, music, laughter and clapping. Maybe this was what they needed; something normal and freeing.

Jonathan hadn't danced since the Cinco de Mayo the year before his father died. He'd never forget the lights that were strung up in every direction at his aunt's house. The music never ended and his sisters never stopped embarrassing him.

His brother was always off to the side as well, shaking his head at their outrageous family.

"That's the Reyes' for you." Daniel would always say before he finished off another beer to wash away the slight shame he felt for belonging to such wild people. But neither of them would have it any other way because at the end of the night they always ended up right in the middle of them, dancing and singing just as enthusiastically.

Jonathan missed it. He missed home so much and he reminded himself why he always tried not to think about it. He hated feeling homesick for his family, the forests, and the home cooked meals his mom forced him to stay a bit later for.

------

"Your sisters made churros and ice cream. You know what that means?" His mother grinned down at him and of course he knew what that meant.

Jonathan sighed and let his head fall back on the couch, "Yes. It means I have to stay and eat that, too. Because if I don't they will accuse me of not liking their food and will shun me as a member of this family. Even though I am so full right now you could prick me with a needle and I'd deflate. But yeah, I know what it means. Let's go get some."

She smiled and ran her hand across his face, then brushed his hair away from his eyes where it always tended to fall. "You are so handsome, my sweet boy. Just like your papa."

Mia and Jazmín were so happy when he joined them in the kitchen. Even though he was forcing himself to eat it all, it was just to see them smile. So, it was worth it.

------

Jonathan didn't realize he was staring through the crowd at Evan. But he felt the homesick feeling beginning to fade when Evan caught his gaze and started moving past everyone toward him. His hand caught his fingers and Jonathan sighed against the touch.

He leaned close to Evan's face and whispered, "I need you."

Evan pulled back and nodded, "Okay."

Because he knew what he meant. Jonathan had things on his mind and he needed a quiet place and something else to take his thoughts somewhere other than where they were. Evan took his hand and pulled him away to the elevator, away from the music and the loud, dancing crowd. He took him away from everything, to the roof of the building where the sun was but an afterthought in the sky and cold air bit at their faces.

Jonathan breathed it in deep, taking in the refreshing silence around them.

"Do you want to talk abo-" Evan tried to ask but Jonathan cut him off, gripping him around the waist and pressing their mouths together.

Evan quickly adjusted and slid his arms over his shoulders, carding his fingers through his hair once he'd pulled his hat off. He sighed against his lips before he angled his face and let his tongue join the party.

Jonathan gripped his sides and lifted Evan up and pinned him against the concrete by the door, pressing his stomach against Evan's hips.

Evan was already excited, wrapping his legs around him and rolling his hips. It was reminiscent of a time that Jonathan wouldn't take him back to no matter how much he begged. His breath caught in his throat when Jonathan's mouth fell to his neck and he kissed his skin so gently. His lips trailed up to his jaw and Evan felt him sigh as he stood there with him in his arms.

It was a long moment and Evan knew he wasn't going to get it the way he wanted when Jonathan let him down slowly and brushed his fingers over his cheekbone before his kissed him tenderly. It was enough to make Evan's heart pound. Jonathan took him by the hand and led him back inside to the elevator, never saying a word. The doors opened to the floor they always slept on and Jonathan was leading him into the room with their bunk. It was dark and empty until he shut the door and turned a dim lantern on and found his mouth again.

Evan held his arms over his head as Jonathan pulled his shirt up and off, thumbing at the waistband of his pants. This wasn't even sex, it was so much more than that as he picked Evan up and laid him down on the small mattress, pulling his clothes down off his long legs.

It was time consuming and soft and all the things Jonathan never showed before he broke. It was so affectionate and all the things Evan wasn't used to before now, before Jonathan. It was something else Evan couldn't place as they moved together, gently and almost too slow. He always wanted it rough, but this paced kind of sex was almost better. Like the second time they fucked, but more . . . meaningful. He still didn't really know how to take it all in just yet.

Evan always found his mouth hanging open each time Jonathan filled him up and held him close just as he started a rhythm. This rhythm was different, the way he was breathing was different, the way he pushed himself up and looked down at him was different. Jonathan brushed Evan's hair away from his face and watched him gasp every so often when he brushed his prostate. He watched him get closer, slowing down even more when he got too close. The way Evan chewed at his bottom lip drove him mad sometimes, just like how he'd lick them too much to the point of being chapped.

Jonathan pulled Evan up with him as he sat back on his toes and let him wrap his arms around him. Evan moved himself, riding him until Jonathan could feel his thighs starting to shake from the exertion. He was breathing heavily, about to reach his orgasm until Jonathan stopped him, holding him close, tasting the salt of his skin.

Evan dug his fingers into his back and tried to move. Jonathan could feel the warmth and wetness of his pre-cum against his stomach. He knew how bad Evan wanted it by the way he moaned suddenly when Jonathan reached up and pulled at his hair. Not hard but enough that he craved more and as much as Jonathan said no to the idea . . . he absolutely loved seeing Evan like this. So strung out and desperate for his rough touch.

Jonathan nipped at his neck carefully with his teeth before he slammed him back down into the sheets, yanking his hips up just to roughly sink himself down into him. Evan was arching his back with the feeling and just as soon as Jonathan reached forward and wrapped his fingers around Evan's neck while he pounded into him, he screamed out and curled the sheets in his fists, coming quickly all over himself. Jonathan let him ride it out before he felt his muscles coil. He pulled out and let his mess join Evan's, catching his breath, both dazed from post-orgasm.

He fell forward just a bit, resting on his arms and he let out another sigh, watching Evan's satiated expression, "I could fuck you all damn night."

Evan cracked a lazy smile, "What's stopping you?"

Jonathan wet his lips and huffed, "My complete lack of energy."

"You poor baby."

They shared a laugh and forced themselves to move so they could wipe away their mess. It took effort because they were spent and when Evan laid back down pulling the thin sheet over him, Jonathan sat on the floor beside him. In the dim light in just his underwear, he took out a pen and pulled Evan's arm out in front of him. Evan watched lazily as Jonathan drew a picture the length of his forearm, tickling his skin when he neared the crook of his arm.

Evan giggled and Jonathan paused, glancing up at him with a grin, "Be still, Princess."

"Sorry."

"Better be. Or else I'll draw a dick on your forehead when you go to sleep."

"So mean." Evan hummed when Jonathan ran his fingers over the sensitive skin, admiring his work. "You're so handsome."

Jonathan fixed a spot distractedly, "Just like my papa."

Evan blinked when Jonathan stopped and sat up, "Sorry. That's just . . . what my mom always says. You're so handsome, my sweet boy, just like your papa."

"She wasn't lying. Sweet boy." Evan reached up and pinched his cheek, laughing when Jonathan swatted him away. Evan pulled his arm up in the light and looked at the portrait of a dog he'd put on his arm. It was Lucah, almost looking like a wolf, gazing up at him with a moonlit forest behind her.

"Wow." He reveled. "Take a picture, I want to keep this forever."

------

They slept into the early hours of morning without being disturbed except for when Langley cracked open the door to let Lucah in. She made sure she laid on the floor and didn't jump on the bed and wake them up. But Jonathan was awake anyway when she shut the door quietly. The room was slowly flooding with cool blue light coming from the window.

He moved silently over Evan and let his feet slip onto the cold floor. Lucah licked his toes and he sat down beside her, petting her soft fur in greeting. She rested her head on his leg as he rummaged through a bag he always kept under the bed. It took a moment but he finally pulled out his phone that he hadn't touched in months because he knew it didn't even matter anymore. But it held memories that he was suddenly ready to see again.

He plugged the charger into the wall and let it come to life. The screen welcomed him, his background still the same picture, a brick wall of graffiti he'd painted in the city back home, initialed J.L.R. It was just another thing he missed so much it made his chest hurt. He opened up his photos with a heavy heart but it was something he needed to do, something he desperately needed to accept.

The first few pictures were of him and Tyler in the stadium, throwing up peace signs, smiling from ear to ear. The next were of them in the restaurant after the game, pictures of food, Tyler flipping him off. But the further he scrolled, the more homesick he felt. He flicked through photo after photo of his family, his sisters, his brother holding up his Christmas present, old family get-togethers, his art, the forest, landscapes from hiking trips, his dad.

He soaked it all in and tried to make peace with the reality he was in. These were places and people he may never see again, as optimistic as he always tried to be. This was a fear he never wanted Evan to see or feel or know.

"Hey."

Jonathan looked up at Evan prying his eyes open. He shut the screen off and grinned. "Good morning."

Evan rolled to his side and frowned when he saw how smudged the penwork on his arm had become. "Mannn."

"I can draw another one sometime." Jonathan reassured him and pulled his fingers to his lips and kissed them. Then he let them go, looking down at the phone in his hands. "Evan, listen."

"Yeah?"

Jonathan chose his words carefully, "I don't want you to worry about it, but there's something that I need to do. For me . . . and after it's done, I'll forget about it or at least try to. But if I don't get some sort of closure, it's going to haunt me for the rest of my life, however long or short-lived that may be."

Evan looked at the guilt on his face that he hadn't seen in a while and he knew exactly what Jonathan was going to do. He was going back to the parking garage where he lost his friend the night it all started. Evan couldn't stop him no more than he could tell him that he loved him.

"Okay."

Jonathan swallowed nervously, "Okay."

"Come back."

Jonathan pushed himself to his feet and brushed his hair back, "I always do."

Evan raised a brow at him, "You sure about that?"

The runner sighed and rolled his eyes, "Except that one time I got my ass kicked and dragged off for like a week. Shut up."

Evan chuckled pulled him down when he got close enough and opened his mouth and it almost rolled off his tongue without his brain stopping it, "I . . ." his head finally caught up, "nevermind. Just be safe."

Jonathan looked confused for a second before he brushed it off and leaned down the rest of the way to kiss him goodbye before he pulled some clothes on and left the room.

------

Evan didn't know how long he laid there as the sun filled the room. But he stared at the ceiling in thought with Lucah keeping his left side warm until he heard a quiet chime. He looked over and saw a phone on the floor, lit up at one hundred percent. Evan grinned and reached down for it, sitting up in the bed as he swiped the screen. A photo was pulled up and his grin faded.

It was a very young Jonathan with who he could only assume was his dad. They looked identical. His mom really wasn't lying. He flicked his thumb across the screen and saw Jonathan's entire world in front of him. The sisters he compared Evan to, the older brother he was fond of, and the mother who had been through so much he could see it in the laugh lines on her face.

He kept going, knowing he should've stopped before he started, but then he saw what he never wanted to see. Jonathan with his arm thrown over another man as they posed for a selfie in the stadium.

Evan's heart was in his throat as he jumped from the bed, nearly tripping over himself trying to pull his pants and shoes on. He neglected his shirt and ran down the hallway, ignoring the elevator altogether, taking the stairs until he was sprinting through the lobby. He almost barreled into Marcel but he turned his shoulder just in time and kept moving.

"Whoa! Dude, what's wrong?!"

"How long has he been gone?!" Evan asked as he unlocked the door hastily.

"I don't know, twenty minutes?"

"Fuck!" Evan yanked the door open and left them all there confused and a little alarmed, but what could they do? A desperate man was unstoppable.

Evan already couldn't breathe, could hardly run without his shaky knees buckling.

"Jonathan!"

He didn't know why he was calling his name, he knew he was too far off looking for someone he wouldn't find. Evan paused for a breath and almost got sick. That image kept flashing in his head.

Jonathan with an arm slung over his best friend's shoulder.

Tyler's shoulder.

The boss's shoulder.