Sebastian 

Sebastian shivered as the coolness of the bunker's AC hit his skin. In the few hours since they'd left the bunker and found another, everyone had stripped their suits, relishing in the relief of the removal of sweaty radiation suits. Fabric indentations marbled their skin, alarmingly red.  

He moved closer to Jade, ignoring the looks from the others on either side of him. Every night in the bunker, he'd fallen asleep by her side dreaming about walking the surface with her. Instead of holding her hand, un-gloved, he had spent the day climbing through rumble of crumbled buildings and trying to forget the ruin he had seen. He hadn't expected the ruins of the city to be good, but nothing could've have prepared him for the pure devastation of his home he saw.

"I can't believe it." Jade whispered mournfully as he sat next to her as the others separated into their perspective corners. Sebastian's chest tightened, but he forced himself to stay calm. There was no time to mourn the city, especially if they could bring it back to life. He'd been living it rough for many years on the streets before the city was ruins. If Boston was known for anything, it was known for being Boston Strong. 

"We are Boston Strong." He whispered back to her softly. The familiar slogan made Jade smile. That says had brought pride to the city after the marathon bombings of 2013, it endowed strength and resilience into the  citizens of the city when nothing but pain and grief marred their thoughts. 

As the doors of the bunker closed behind them, he'd been thinking back to when he had met Jade. They had met by accident. He had been set up on a blind date, and so was she, but they hadn't been set up by any mutual friends. They mistook each other for the date they were supposed to meet. It made his stomach twist over the idea they may have never met.

"Hey you two, we found some food. Come grab some." Orion called, whose hand held a plate laden with nutrition packs and what looked like instant ramen. From what Sebastian could see, it looked like there was over a month's worth of canned food, which could last them quite a while if rationed properly. There could be more further back in the shelter or in others throughout the city.

"At least there is decent food for our first night. It is better than what grows in Jade's substitute soil. Don't know about you, but everything has an irony after taste." Jo joked lightly before taking placing  a small pot on a hot plate. 

Sebastian rolled his eyes, ignoring the her. Jade had worked hard to find a substitute after the nutrients suddenly dying, especially since she did all the work on the fly. No one knew the soil would die, and no one knew if it would ever be back, but without Jade, they would have ran out of food sooner due to mass panic initially and many survivors hoarding rations. Leaning back, he closed his  eyes and beautiful visions of Boston flashed before his eyes. It was strange to think that a few short years ago and the walls of this bunker separated him from the bustling city that had been the only world he'd ever known. His chest  ached for what used to be, for what now as an ugly sight. The remnants of his past lay on the other side of the door. 

"Soup's up!" Jo sang with the tiniest hint of joy. "Bring your bowls up."

"So where the hell is the bathroom in this place?" Orion asked, looking around the bunker as if he expected one to magically appear.

Sebastian cleared his throat, jerking his thumb behind him. "There's the sign. Would have known if you actually looked. It is really astonishing what your eyes can do. In the meantime, the rest of us will use our brains from now on."

Orion made of show of annoyance, glancing to find the sign. "Thanks smart-ass," he said, prompting grunts of agreements from the rest of the group. 

"Bast, no need to be mean." Jade whispered, grabbing his hand in hers. She sighed into his shoulder. He shook his head, there was no hiding himself.

"I wasn't being mean, he is just stupid." He kissed her forehead. Now that the food had been eaten, each of the five had found themselves a place in the bunker. Jo had found the farthest corner she could find from everyone. Sebastian had seen her type before. Aside from him and Jade, she was the only other person who seemly walked with the world on her shoulders, yet Jade seemed better at hiding it than anyone else. 

Jo raised an eyebrow having caught him looking her way. In five years, Sebastian could count on one hand the number of interactions they've had.  "That's interesting, considering Jarrod sent her, she seems as scared as a mouse. But I think she is acting." 

Jade glanced up at him, looked at Josephine, then gave a small nod. "I agree." She tucked her hair behind her ear, smile fading. "She will do what is right when the time comes, we all have to. She's done it before. I don't want to live underground forever."

Sebastian leaned back in  his cot. "We won't. Look where we are, we aren't as far as before. We will hold hands without gloves again. Maybe even see a ball a game at Fenway Park. Finally get married at Apple orchard in Amesbury. Or buy a home in the North Shore, like your parents did," he whispered softly, " So, how do you think the showers are here? I am feeling a little dirty" He winked. 

"Oh I bet you are, you smell dirty too." Jade's face took on an expression of mock disgust. "You have to forgive me, but having spent several hours in those suits have been unforgiving to you."

"Me? You should smell yourself." Sebastian chuckled, racking his hands through Jade's hair. "I guess we both need to clean up before whatever comes next."

With a seductive nod, Jade tangled her fingers in his and pulled him away from the others. No one blinked an eye. They were all preoccupied with something else or their thoughts. 

In the bunkers, they weren't allowed to live together officially since they were unmarried. Puritanically, an engagement doesn't qualify living together in the bunker. Nor were their bunks in their respective rooms big enough for two. But that hadn't stopped them from doing other things. Jade and Sebastian found solitude together under running water. Before venturing to the real world, neither had time to spend together.

Simultaneous with the lock of the door, steam began to sweep the room in a heated tango. From above, the warmth pelted their bare skin, wrapping them in the warmest of blankets. Her luxurious ebony lock smelt of roses, cascading down her back. Her hands  reached towards his head, shampooing and massaging his scalp. He moaned softly, he had never been with a woman of such beauty who cared so much. Sebastian wondered what a girl like her ever saw in a troubled guy like him, even after all this time.

"Oh god, this feels so good," he whispered softly into her ear. He ran sudsy hands the length of her supple curves. Before he knew it, Jade became a puddle of giggles, as his hands hit that one spot on her waist.

"Sebastian!" She gasped breathlessly, "Stop it! That tickles." Her eyes twinkled with joy. 

"Never!" His hands ravaged her body, tickling each weak point with agile fingers. Her wet hands tried to fight back with no avail. He loved her like this, her guard completely down. He could tease her  and love her for the rest of his life.

Jade arched on her tip toes, delicately pressing her lips to his. All tickling ceased. Sebastian went to further the kiss when she pulled away swearing up a storm.

"FUCK!  Oh god!" She hissed through her teeth. "Ah! Fucking foot cramp. Mother-." Sebastian placed his lips on hers, pressing hotly. The cramp passed. 

"Ha, so smooth." She breathed through the kisses. He smelt clean, his arms pulling her waist closer to him. His kisses began to travel; from her lips, to her nose, to her forehead and further down towards her neck. When his lips rested gently on her neck, he felt her suck in a deep breath. Their wet skin pressing together, her fingers ghosting his back. His leaned into the touch.  

Sebastian was unhurried with his touch, pleasuring Jade the way she taught him. She was calling out his name before long, desperate to be touched, ravished and held intimately. She kissed him until all reason seeped out through her mind and they became a living conscious of what they wanted to do to each other. And suddenly they were crashing around the shower room, all hands and lips and, oh, God, the scent and taste and feel of each other was the only thing that mattered. Tiny fireworks flew between the two of them as he pressed her back into cool, wet stone, gently pushing in. One arm held her up and another supported himself against the wall. He was slow and rhythmic at first, but Jade's panting breath coaxed him further, Sebastian bucked  faster and threw both of them into a frenzied cycle of sloppy, hot kisses and sultry pants. Both shivering in pure pleasure.

"You amaze me." He spoke softly, drying her hair in a soft towel. She only smiled before dressing. 

"You amaze me, Bast. You are always so tough and mean to others... but not to me. I love that I get to see this side of you, its like my secret version of you." He kissed her forehead after dressing. Both sunk back to the others, trying to be quiet. Everyone else seemed to have fallen asleep or paid the couple no mind. Atlas only raised an eyebrow before diving back into the book he looked up from. 

"I am all yours, Jade Lu-Chan. I will always be." 

"And I  yours, Sebastian Beck." She yawned, stretching her arms above her head.

Pushing their cots together, the two fell asleep with their fingers intertwined. For the first time in five years he had slept that close to her, and he was never going to sleep alone again. He dozed off with warmth filling his heart and leaving his chest feeling light.  Maybe something good will come from leaving the bunker. Sebastian could only hope things were up from here.