Aleks's eyes drifted closed as James gently ran his hands across his skin, mapping every curve of his body. He was in a state of bliss; James had returned to him and they'd made love, sating their need for each other. Sex had cured them both of the horror that had plagued their minds for the last twenty-four hours.

The black cloud that had engulfed them was gone. Now the atmosphere was light, warm from their afterglow, creating a sense of normalcy.

"So much for the sex ban." James remarked, and Aleks opened his eyes to see him propped up on his elbow beside him.

A winter chill was beginning to settle in the room, and Aleks pulled their blanket over them, protecting their naked skin from the cold. "I'm sure I'll use it in the future." He replied lightly, inching into James's warmth.

"Yeah, because it worked out so well for you last time."

Aleks felt his lips quirk at James's sarcasm. No regrets. "Shut up." He said fondly.

Smiling, James lifted his hand to trace the contour of Aleks's lips with his fingertip. "Admit it, I'm irresistible."

Aleks tried to playfully bite James's finger, but he pulled his hand away. "Never."

His one word response was taken as a challenge. James suddenly grabbed his wrists, forcing Aleks's arms above him to pin him to the bed. Aleks was relieved when he didn't flinch as James rolled on top of him; the move so similar to what he'd been forced to endure the day before.

This was nothing like yesterday. The heat from James's gaze ignited every nerve ending in Aleks's body, and he felt nothing but pure love and desire. There was no room for anything else; James was his, body and soul.

Aleks bit his lip and rocked his hips, smirking at James's small sound of surprise. "We just cleaned up." His boyfriend reminded him, but there was no real fight in his words. Aleks could feel him growing hard already.

"I like you dirty."

Aleks's double-entendre didn't go unnoticed by James. "I bet you do." He said heatedly, releasing his wrists to lace their fingers together. He kept their clasped hands above Aleks's head as he leaned in, brushing their lips together. The kiss was gentle, but the passion between them was palpable.

Aleks felt James release one of his hands, but he didn't get the chance to touch him. Before he could move his arm, James snatched his wrist again.

"What is that? Is that a tattoo?"

In his haze, Aleks had completely forgotten about his new ink. "Yeah, it is. Aron fixed up a tattoo kit so I thought I'd give it a go." He replied quickly. They could talk about the meaning later; all he wanted to do was continue what they'd just started.

"That's Russian, isn't it?" James correctly surmised, and Aleks realised that it was futile. Once James focused on something, he wouldn't let it go. "What does it say?"

Moment of truth. "It's a J." Aleks told him, bracing himself for James's reaction as he hastily continued with his next words. "Well, the closest representation anyway. There's no J in the Russian alphabet."

James blinked. "Is that J for..." He trailed off, speechless, and Aleks nodded, watching him closely.

"You, idiot." He whispered, hoping the warmth in his tone was enough to convey his love. He wasn't ready to say those three little words yet, even though he felt them so strongly.

His reply didn't have the desired effect. Instead of showering him with affection, James left the bed, and he began to pull on his discarded clothing.

Aleks felt a pang of hurt as he sat up, wrapping a blanket around himself. Was it too soon? "Where are you going?" He asked, trying to conceal his panic as he watched James getting dressed.

It didn't quite work – James saw right through him. "You're a fucking idiot." He said lovingly, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. "I have an appointment, so hurry up and get dressed."

Relieved, Aleks caught the clothes that were tossed in his direction. He was confused by James's sudden desire to leave the comfort of their bed, but he soon realised his intention once they were clothed and walking to their destination.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Aleks asked quietly when they reached the first floor of the hotel. He was certain of his love and commitment – but he didn't know if James felt as strongly for him.  

"Absolutely." James replied firmly, leading the way to Aron's room. "I want you inked on my skin too."

Apparently he did.

Aleks didn't need an "I love you" in that moment. James choosing to get a matching tattoo was enough.

James had barely knocked on Aron's door when Aleks attacked him, fusing their lips together. The move took James by surprise but he responded eagerly, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist.

So caught up in each other, they didn't hear the door open – until Aron spoke up. "Okay, I like you guys, but that's just gross."

James broke the kiss, and he kept one arm around Aleks as he turned to face Aron. "Hey man." He said airily, as if he hadn't just been caught making out with his boyfriend. "Mind if we come in?"

"Not really, as long as you guys can control yourselves." Aron replied, stepping to the side to let them in.

"We can't promise anything." James said gravely, and his lips curved up into a grin, unable to stay serious.

Aleks couldn't resist joining in. "That table does look rather sturdy." He remarked thoughtfully, studying the desk that Aron worked at. His mind instantly conjured up images of him and James having sex on it, and he bit his lip.

James noticed his arousal, knowing his body well enough to sense the signs, and he leaned in. "Behave yourself." He murmured, lowering his arm to slap his backside lightly.

Aleks smiled happily, knowing that he looked like an infatuated fool in front of Aron, but he honestly couldn't care less. "Aron, could we borrow the tattoo kit please?"

"Sure, whatever." Aron waved his arm, distracted by his work, and Aleks approached the desk to turn the small machine on. He gestured for James to take a seat, and he sat down opposite him.

Once he was sure that the kit was prepared properly, he offered James the needle.

To his surprise, his boyfriend shook his head. "I want you to do it." He told him, and he rolled up his shirt sleeve to expose the skin of his forearm. "Write your name in Russian, right here." He ran his fingertip along the strip of skin that he wanted inked, and Aleks hesitated.

"Are you sure?" He asked guardedly. He was honoured that James trusted him to do it, but he couldn't help but feel a little bit of pressure.

"I want you." James said simply, and there was no room for argument in his sincere tone.

How could Aleks dispute that? He leaned down to press his lips against the patch of bare skin, touched by James's conviction.

Confident now, he fired up the machine, and he began to tattoo his home language onto his lover's skin.

Александр

He kept the letters small, feeling a semblance of pride when he finished inking his name. He leaned back to grab a cloth from the desk, and he tenderly dabbed the stray droplets of blood away. Then, he turned to face James, wanting to see his reaction.

James looked down for the first time, having kept his gaze averted whilst Aleks had been working on him. His eyes widened, and his face lit up with a dazzling smile when he saw the careful, neat lettering. "Aleks, this is amazing." He whispered.

Aleks shrugged modestly, feeling his cheeks warm under the heat of James's awed gaze. He felt elated, he felt loved. Twenty four hours ago, he thought he was going to die. But now, here he was, standing strong beside the man he loved. There was no greater feeling.

So enraptured by James, he started when Aron approached them, examining the tattoo for himself. "Are you two engaged now, or something?" He asked dryly, unimpressed with the originality of their matching tattoos.

Aron's light-hearted question completely floored Aleks, and he quickly turned his attention to bandaging James's tattoo, wanting to keep his scarred skin protected. He couldn't bring himself to meet James's gaze, even though he could feel his eyes burning through him. He had no idea how to form a reply to that.

It appeared James didn't know how to respond either, and he chose to ignore Aron too. Aleks felt James's fingertips touch his chin, and he gently tilted his head, forcing him to look at him. He gave him a comforting smile, and Aleks relaxed, smiling shyly in return.

"Go and take that sexual tension somewhere else so I can get back to work." Aron remarked, rolling his eyes.

Aleks gave him an apologetic smile and then looked back at James expectantly. He quirked one eyebrow, hoping it was enough of a signal. He was desperate to return to their room and begin round two.

James smirked, answering his silent request. "See you later Aron." He called, yanking Aleks to his feet to lead him away, knowing exactly what they both wanted. 

~O~

The next couple of weeks were uneventful. Camp life continued as normal; James and Aleks resumed their duties, but they didn't volunteer to go on any supply runs. Whilst they'd moved on from what happened with the Hunters, neither one was ready to leave the safety of camp just yet.

Until a startling announcement came through on the radio waves – the government was planning an air drop of supplies to Colorado, and the coordinates were only fifty miles away.

The drop was due the following day, and Jordan immediately began to plan for it.

Aleks and James learned from Seamus later that evening that neither of them had been chosen to go, which angered them both. They immediately sought out Jordan, who was in the pantry, packing food for the trip.

"We're not going?!" James bellowed once they'd found him, not bothering to start the conversation civilly. "What the fuck Jordan?"

Jordan didn't rise to James's temper, well-used to his fury by now. "I don't think it's a good idea." He said evenly, continuing to pack. "We're not going to be the only ones going for those supplies."

"So?" James exclaimed, frowning in confusion. "That means you'll need us. You know Aleks and I are the best marksmen out of everyone." He wasn't bragging – they were, and they made a formidable team in battle. 

Jordan shrugged, not denying his words, and it suddenly dawned on Aleks why they hadn't been included on the roster. "You think the remaining Hunters are going after those supplies too, don't you?" He realised, now understanding why Jordan had made the decision to leave them at camp. He was trying to protect them.

Jordan nodded cautiously, and James stilled, his expression carefully neutral – but Aleks could see right through his façade. He too was wary of the possibility of encountering them again – but his determination was stronger.

"I appreciate your concern Jordan, but I'm not staying here." He said firmly. "Out of everyone, I'm the one who wants the Hunters dead the most. I'm going with you."

"Me too." James added, speaking up before Jordan could respond, and Aleks glanced at him in surprise. James's face was now lined with resolve, unwavering. "You're not leaving me behind either."

Jordan's gaze flickered between the two, calculating as the couple stared him down. "Fine, you can come. We're taking two trucks, so there's enough room." He said, conceding defeat. James and Aleks were a force to be reckoned with when they wanted to be. 

"I'll drive one truck." Aleks said quickly, whilst he was on a winning streak. He'd never had the opportunity to drive before, and he swiftly seized his chance.

"Hell no." James argued, but it wasn't his decision.

Jordan shook his head in agreement. "Sure. I'll be driving the other one, so you can follow me."

Aleks smirked triumphantly at his partner, enjoying the horrified expression on James's face as his usual driving role was stripped away from him. "You know Aleks hasn't driven in years, right? He'll kill us before we even get to the drop." He said hastily, attempting to dissuade Jordan.

It didn't work. "Aleks will be fine." Their leader replied, grinning.

~O~

Unfortunately, Jordan's confidence in Aleks had been misguided.

Aleks had thought driving would come naturally to him; he used to spend hours driving around Colorado, back when he was in college. He used to enjoy being on the open road, meandering around the state, and he'd considered himself a good driver.

But not anymore. He was rusty, to say the least. He'd stalled twice on the way to the drop, and he'd nearly crashed into a few stationary vehicles on the road.

His unfortunate passengers – James, Seamus and Dexter – spent the entire journey criticising his driving, but Aleks took it all in good humour.

The mood turned sombre when they neared their destination, and Aleks followed Jordan onto a large open field, where the supplies had been dropped. The large expanse of space meant that they could see for miles, and there was no one in sight.

That was a good thing – for that meant the supplies were untouched.

Dozens of unopened crates were scattered across the land, and Jordan pulled up at the first pile of loot. Aleks parked beside him, and everyone left the trucks, all approaching the boxes cautiously.

Jordan did the honours, and he broke one of the crates open with a crowbar that Seamus offered him. Inside was freshly packed food – from meat, to vegetables, to fruit.

James punched the air, hollering "Fuck yeah!", which triggered an instant celebration.

The Creatures began to high-five, clapping each other on the back. Aleks went to join in, but he was suddenly lifted into the air. He made a sound of surprise, and glanced down to see James beaming up at him. He quickly gripped his shoulders for balance, wrapping his legs around his waist.

They didn't need to say anything; both were absolutely elated by the discovery. It cemented their chance of a future together, knowing that the government was working towards a solution, doing its best to keep the survivors alive in the process.

Aleks swiftly leaned down, and his nose bumped awkwardly against James's in his haste to kiss him, seeking his affection as they basked in reciprocal joy. He tried to fit all of his emotions into one kiss, failing of course, but his yearning was tangible. It was warmly received by James, who kissed him back with equal ardour.

Their moment didn't last for long. Aleks was yanked abruptly out of James's arms, and he found himself sandwiched between Dexter and Seamus as they embraced him. He laughed, returning the clinch as he watched Jordan tackle James into a hug.

They were all still vulnerable, exposed in the open air, so the celebration soon drew to a close. They turned their attention to the rest of the crates, and their bright smiles remained as they loaded up the trucks with as many supplies as they could.

No one else arrived, and there was no sign of the Hunters. Aleks felt himself relax, and he kept meeting James's eyes as they worked, both unable to look away from each other.

James was looking at him like he was his entire world – and Aleks couldn't breathe. All he could do was gaze back at him, his smile tinged with devotion, completely and utterly in love.