;; The Dark Inside ;; [ Maple x Shades ]

[shades]

Brows furrowing in thought, he leaned over, “we can’t just invite ourselves in a group of people who attacked us.” Peter whispered back, looking between them. Honestly, yes, they probably would be great protection. Company? Maybe. But something told him that the girl wanted to kill him because the awkward tumble she took while trying to murder him, or at least didn’t want him around any longer.

Allie clung to his older brother, looking up innocently, then around at the big people and their weapons. Head resting on Peter’s leg, green eyes darting all over the place.

Of course Peter was too polite to ask to join, it was usually a get up and go, not wanting to share supplies situation anyways. They had makeshift weapons for protection, where the best Peter got was throwing stones, a pocket knife or two, and whatever was on the ground and could be used like a quarterstaff.

Back at home he did hunt with his father, archery and guns, and had killed an animal with both. It was just finding those weapons nowadays in supply, with bullets or arrows. That left him generally defenseless right now.

Flynn looked between everyone, knowing that it was going separate ways or joining together. That was how they ended up in the movies, and traveling with the Stewarts, Flynn came to realize they weren't going to leave people in the middle of nowhere.

~*~

“No. Just nostalgia, remembering an old girlfriend who is long lost.” He lied again, Zach was fairly good at lying; particularly with things about himself. Blue eyes scanned the girl again, knowing he wasn’t going to get out of this situation until the end of it. One, his body was feeling the loneliness ebbing away and begging for attention, and two, trying to walk away would be more difficult with that sensual feeling running through him.

It was like smoking and alcohol, though a teenager says they won’t do it, when pressured and having it right there in front of them and on the spot. They usually caved because teenage morals aren’t always as prominent as parents want them to believe. Sure, there are those good kids, but obviously Zacharias wasn’t one of them.

Like a teenager, he is one still, being presented with bodily contact was a situation which was hard to say no. His morals were in the right place, knowing he would be leaving, he wanted to be alone, and in the end would hurt the girl more. But she was begging for it, serving herself like a platter in front of him. That’s when morals are forgotten, and the mind numbs.

[Maple ♥]

    Ellie moved to walk past Marley and Flynn, stance rigid like her body felt. That had not just happened. "Come on, let's go," she said, wanting to keep moving and get the hell away from there. Stopping when Rogan spoke, 

    "Not so fast, Ellisa," he stepped towards Peter and Lauren with a small smile on his lips. "You know..." he cupped his hands together and rubbed his sore, chapped, and wrinkled fingers. "The more the merrier. We could all rely on one another pretty well. A bigger group calls for more looks outs and protection. If you two wanted to, and I see you have two little things to take care of as well..." he motioned around him at his small group. Being an older guy, he usually saw the good and bad in people. And at the moment his instincts weren't telling him any different.

    Luke and Ellie both scoffed at the same time, but Marley stayed quiet, like usual, standing beside Flynn. "Dad, are you sure?" Luke asked, arms crossed over his chest as he tried sizing up the guy, who he didn't care much for besides that he was a guy, and Luke was a guy, and he was always looking to one-up everyone who posed a threat to his image. 

    "Positive," Rogan grunted, nodding his head once, and offering one of his hands to the young male pleasantly. "What do 'ya say, son?" he asked.

    Lauren glanced at Peter, her heart beat fast with anticipation. If Peter declined, she didn't know who she would go with. Her and Peter had gotten close over their time together, but she was also drawn to these people like a moth to a flame. She gave Peter a small reassuring smile. 

___

    Jade pulled back slightly, finger tips curling in Zach's hair lightly. "Yeah?" she said, eyes fluttering with a smile. "Well I bet I can do you better than she ever could."

    And just like that, she became the lioness, pouncing on her prey. Jade pulled him into her more, not only focused on being safe for the night but also aroused by the looks of the boy, the lean of his muscle, the stance of his body. Her hands found their ways around his torso, pulling him into the door of the building and letting it slam behind them. As she stepped up the stairs, bringing him in tow, she kissed his mouth ferociously and bit playfully. She could tell she was going to have fun with this, which would be a first in a long time. Her arm slouched against the railing of the stairs as they continued up the flights until they reached the fourth floor. 

    It didn't take long, but she pulled away from him, almost dancing sensually as she guided him by his arm to a door, the apartment she'd been cooped up in for a while. A dump to others, but home to her, she pushed Zach into it with a grin before chasing in after him and closing the door behind them, and locking it. 

    Standing in front of him now, she leaned against the door and bit her lip, inhaling deeply and using her finger to beckon him. "Right this way, baby," she purred (she does that a lot I realize) and her eyes sparkled with mischief. 

[shades]

Noticing the decision laid on his shoulders, causing him to look at Lauren helplessly, and then Allie. Closing his eyes briefly, Peter thought for what seemed like hours but was a mere second of finding the inner adult in him and nodding. “Yeah, I think having more people would benefit everyone.” He spoke, taking Rogan’s hand with a small shake. Knowing that he was being evaluated as the leader to the tiny pack of himself and Lauren, and turning it over to the older man. Which meant he had to listen to him, but for Peter that was no problem.

Allie didn’t say anything, nor did he protest it. Maybe it was a quiet acceptance, or he trusted Peter to make him safe. But the green eyes followed the people, small smile on his lips.

Peter glanced at Lauren, hoping he made the right decision, knowing that now Ruby had more protection and Allie. Plus, combining supplies, hopefully whatever Ruby had caught would prove easier to fight if it wasn’t just a small bug.

On the other side of the clearing, Flynn smiled, unlike Ellie and Luke he wasn’t a person to be rude to an innocent. Remembering that Luke had sized him up, until Flynn had showed no interest in fighting for attention and merely did what he was told or thought right. Plus, even Luke knew Flynn was useful sometimes.

~*~

Quiet, Zacharias followed each tug and pull of the young woman, each time she kissed him it would take a moment to slid his mouth open. And sometimes just biting him would make his lips part in a silent gasp of surprise at the pinch and unfamiliar touch of her. He didn’t even know her name.

When she beckoned him, without a tug or pull, or her lips for him to chase, he followed anyways. Once again his thoughts disrupting him with logic and morals, but were quickly chased away by the part in his mind that was going crazy. Zach looked around, not caring about the shape of it and how it wasn’t a five-star hotel, just noting the bed in the corner where Zach assumed few or many men have slept on it with the girl before him.

Blue eyes watching her calmly. It was a matter of waiting on her decision, what she wanted him to do. Though Zach could have control if he wanted too, yes, and kiss the girl and demand her clothing right away. However, he was a patient person when he wanted to be. He leaned against the wall, not a man of many words, but obviously of action though he was a bit slow on the uptake of kissing again after months of intimate-less loneliness.

But she still wanted him, whether it was just desperate or he was doing something right, she still continued to make his morals go down the drain. Waiting for her next move or pounce, whether it was just a command for him to do, or if she straddled him and toyed with his body. No matter what, Zach was entranced, but he had control.

[Maple ♥]

    Ellie, mouth slack at what had just happened, narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. She probably wouldn't be this upset is she hadn't accidentally groped the attractive guy, but now that he was joining their group she felt her cheeks flare with embarrassment. Ellie was rarely embarrassed, and so this just pissed her off that much more. 

    Rogan clapped Peter on the back and grinned, mustache tickling his lips. "Welcome to the gang!"

    As he went down the line of people, introducing them all, Luke glared. Rogan began with him. "This is my son, Luke. This is Ellie, practically my daughter as well," Ellie didn't look up at the others, keeping her head down and arms crossed over her chest. "This is Flynn," he patted Flynn on the shoulder and then finally brought Marley close to him. "And my daughter Marley."

    Marley studied the new members with curiosity, but gave them a nice smile. Maybe these people wouldn't ignore as much as every one else did.

    Lauren was smiling widely, running her hand over Ruby's head. She stepped forward a bit towards Peter, turning her back on them briefly to speak in his ear, "Thank you. I owe you everything for getting Ruby and I this far," she said genuinely and turned back to them. Lauren glanced at Luke slightly before holding out Ruby's hand. The poor sick baby just let her do it, eyes a bit glazed over from sickness, but Lauren tried not to notice too much. "This is my daughter, Ruby. My name is Lauren," she shook Rogan's hand and then squeezed Peter's elbow. "This is Peter, and his brother Allie," she ran a comforting hand over the boy's cheek with a smile down at him. 

___

    Jade rolled her eyes and reached out, tugging Zach closer to her and sliding her hand along his torso and down dangerously lower. "Don't be too shy now," she teased and caressed him in the most teasing areas of his body, stepped back slowly and pushing him along with her palms. They were on the bed in a second, her pushing him down on it, and standing above him with a grin. Soon she was peeling her shirt off and over her head and throwing it across the room, then shimmying off her shorts. Now in her undergarments, revealing ones at that, she bit her lip and started to crawl over Zach until she was above him and could kiss his lips roughly, smiling like an excited animal hunting it's prey. 

    She didn't have morals. Nope. Not this girl. And at the moment she just wanted to rip this poor guy apart and have the best sex yet. So, that was what they were going to do. 

    Lips morphing into his, she lowered her body into him and ran her nails down his shirt from, curling at the bottom and riding it up more and more. Teeth nipping slightly at his, breath hot and heavy, hair tickling hers and his cheeks, Jade was on top of the world. Or on top of him. For now, anyways. 

[shades]

His brown eyes darted to Lauren with a smile, “no problem.” Peter said, looking over the group again. His arm on Allie quietly. Ellie wasn’t looking at him, but Peter couldn’t help but hold his gaze on her the longest. Maybe it was the fact she had practically made the most intimate contact Peter has ever had with a girl. He looked down shyly, Allie looking back up at him with wide eyes.

Nodding to the others whom he was introduced too, only receiving a smile from Marley and nod from Flynn, the other too not seemingly interested in him. Except Rogan, but that was besides the point.

Hands shoved in his pocket, his own bag slung over his shoulder. Now it was a matter of waiting of what Rogan wanted to do now. Wait, or continue. Peter trusted his decision.

~*~

Lifting his arms so the shirt slid off easily, their lips parting for a minute. Then his hands found their way to the girl’s skin, feeling her on top of him and knowing that the only thing protecting him now was a belt buckle, jeans, and the boxers he wore.

His breathing was becoming irregular pants slowly, “I’m not shy.” He murmured after a second, blue eyes flashing.

Zach wasn’t a talker much unless someone else initiated it or tried to have a conversation with him. Here he was having sex with a girl he didn’t even know and yet he was doing it. That said something, right? Feeling her body pressed against his, the heat of her skin and arousal of her body already making him turned on.

There was no way he was going to stop now with her. The flare of his cheeks and the moans threatening to escape his lips were signals to that.

[Maple ♥]

    Marley stepped towards Peter with a slight nod. But instead of facing him, she squatted down a good two feet away from Allie near Peter's thigh and brushed some of her dark hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear with a kind smile on her lips. "Hi," she said, finally glad she had one talent she could give to the rest of the group. She was a great babysitter, best in her neighborhood, before the world started to crumbled. She held out her hand like any regular adult would and grinned. "I'm Marley. I don't think we've properly met yet," she told him, torn up Keds scrunching in the dirt a bit as she crouched, trying to keep her balance.  

    Disapprovingly, Luke saw Marley approach the new kid they had to pull along and he grumbled, moving over to Ellie who was running her fingers over her spear tip with furrowed eyebrows. He saw the hint of a blush, a smile creeping onto his face at the leverage he now had. "Aw, El," he said, making her jump a bit and make the situation that much more amusing. Her narrowed glare made him chuckle. "Is someone a little...embarrassed?" he taunted.

    "I'm not afraid to cut out one of your testicles, Lucas," Ellie threatened, pointing her spear head at him to prove what she said. Her cheeks were still tinged with pink, but more from anger now than embarrassment. 

    Luke just laughed, moving around her in a dance like movement. "You like the new guy!" he sang, but knew Peter couldn't hear due tot he fact everyone else was talking near them and him and Ellie were a bit far away. 

    With a jab, Ellie whirled the spear around and stabbed the non-blade end of it into Luke's gut, making him let out a gasp and bend over. "And I'm not afraid to cut them both off either," she said dryly, watching as he slipped to his knees holding himself. 

    "You just missed the hard candies," he winced, trying to get his breath back. Ellie jerked as if she was going to hit him again and he fell back on his ass. Her amused smirk was evident as she stomped through the bushes back towards the others, swinging her spear nonchalantly and glancing at Peter here and there. Sure, she'd dated Luke. But compared to this guy...the one that she'd, um, practically felt up...Luke wasn't even in her mind. Her dark eyes flashed over him again as she stepped next to Rogan and crossed her arms. 

    Rogan was playing with Ruby laying over Lauren's shoulder now, sticking his finger in her clasped hand sweetly and shaking it. "Hey there darlin'," he told her, then worry took over his features. The little thing didn't look too chipper or happy, and at least a few minutes ago she was crying. Now unresponsive, Ruby just blinked with glazed and teary eyes and her bottom lip trembled pathetically. His eyes bounced to Lauren. "Is she alright?"

     Lauren grimaced, running her hand over her baby's soft but tangled hair. "I don't know..." she furrowed her eyes at Rogan, embarrassed she didn't know what to call him. Leader? Chief?

    Rogan laughed a nice hearty laugh. "Just call me Doc, if you wanna. I was a doctor back before all of this," he motioned around them, surprising Lauren. She would've never taken Rogan as a doctor. He could shoot a gun, hunt for food, and be a doctor? Where had these saviors come from?

    "Alright, well. She threw up on me earlier and she's been like this for just a bit of time. I don't know what's wrong, really," Lauren shrugged a bit, eyebrows furrowed as she watched Doc offer his hands out to Ruby. She was like a rag doll, and Lauren hesitated before Doc smiled and she handed the toddler over to him. 

    Looking over his shoulder as he grabbed the baby from her mom, Doc looked at the others as he set her down on one of his packs. "Alright, I think we'll camp here for a bit, then move out. Get comfy, it might be a bit. Luke, you're on look out duty," he told his son sternly who just seconds ago had been goofing off, again. Luke swallowed, nodding slightly before stepping out into the forest with his gun in hand and disappearing to go find a better look out location. 

    Lauren, a bit worried, sat down Indian style and grabbed her daughter's pudgy fingers as Doc gave out more orders. "Alright we need to get stocked up for tomorrow, and with more hands, we'll get it done faster. Ellie," his adopted daughters head snapped up from looking down as she leaned against a tree. "You and the new guy go find some water. There's got to be some sort of stream around here, and we'll boil it for drinkin'," he barely noticed the slight look of panic on her face, glancing at Peter. "You can take your boy too if you don't wanna leave 'em."

    As Rogan began pulling out a first aid kit from his pack, along with a rusted stethoscope, he lifted Ruby's shirt to hear her heart beat while Lauren soothed her by petting and kissing her head. "Marley, you and Flynn can rest a bit before we go. If I need 'ya I'll call." And then he went to work trying to figure out what was wrong with the little girl. 

    Ellie cleared her throat, stepped next to Doc. "You know, Dad, I could go help Luke with-"

    Doc shushed her, listening to the heart beat while giving her a brief. "Just do what I said," before going back to work. Her eyes trailed back to Peter and she grimaced slightly, cheeks filling with heat. God, today was just not her lucky day. 

___

    Slipping her cold fingers over his skin, lips hot with their meshing heats, body pressed to his now bare skin and breathing heavily. This was probably the first time in a while she'd been this excited about sex, and her mind wasn't on the reminder that it was to survive. She was actually enjoying herself. Jade hadn't had a real connection with a anyone, let alone a guy, in a long time. Just physical things she wasn't too excited about. But her pulse was racing and her skin tingled with the urges running through her mind. 

    Her legs rose and fell around his, scratching against his jeans and making her a bit irritated by the clothing. Fumbling finger tips found his belt buckle and with a small chuckle, pulling away from their rough kissing, she panted out a purr. "Oh, by the way..." she whipped the belt loose, then quickly did the same with the jean button and zipper themselves, eyes flashing dangerously down at him. "I'm Jade."

    And then she was pressed against him once more, hands fingering ridges his muscles and pressing there with her nails, teeth playfully biting at his ear or jawline or even lips. He had nice lips. Actually, he had nice everything. Her heart pounding, Jade began slipping down his pants to pull them off of him, biting her lip and watching him the entire time she did so. 

[shades]

Allie yawned, already deciding he trusted the group enough to shove his backpack to the ground and pull out his cards again. Sitting cross-legged the little boy began playing his game. “I’m fine.” He said before Peter could speak, looking up at Marley, Flynn, Doc, and Lauren. “You can go.” Allie looked back, motioning slightly.

Of course he didn’t want to leave Allie, but the boy trusted them so Peter nodded. Kneeling down, with a “be good” and “love you” to his brother before moving towards Ellie. Trying to ignore the blush tingling his cheeks from thoughts of earlier as much as he knew she was also.

Not even speaking to Ellie, he merely brushed past her. Pausing at the edge of the woods to look back, raised eyebrow, silently asking if she was following or not.

~*~

He made it easy for Jade to slip off his pants, now that he had a name. “Nice name.” He commented idly, blue eyes flashing over her body; his hands gripping her upper arms but not to retrain her as she had her fun with his clothing. Zacharias was feeling the pleasure coursing through him, biting back moans, and restricting his movements.

Zach took the opportunity while Jade was tossing his pants aside to push her off him and roll himself overtop of her. His body pressed dangerously close for his mind’s welcoming, but knowing it was now and it wouldn’t stop. When her lips melded with his, blue eyes watchful, ears open, knees pressed into the mattress, looking her over quietly.

Yes, he would have sex with her. Yes, his body was going to enjoy it, in the end his mind would too.

But it didn’t mean Zach would let the girl, Jade, have total dominancy over him.

[Maple ♥]

    Jade grinned into their kissing, her body arching up towards his greedily and fingers pulling him down towards her more. She moved against him in wave like body movements and sunk her nails into his back with a smirk. Her lips trailed down his jawline and down below his ear, sucking harshly there and giving a few nips of her teeth on the sensitive skin. Her teeth curled against the mattress as her finger tips tickled lightly over his lower regions, a small groan leaving her throat. 

___

    Marley sat down cross legged in front of Allie and tilted her head. "What game are you playing?" she question nicely, pushing more hair behind her ear.

    Doc scanned over Ruby still, checking her eyes with a flash light and other such doctorly things. 

    Lauren watched hesitantly, trying to keep Ruby calm while also glancing around them out of habit. 

    Ellie followed behind him, small gallon jug that usually Doc carried on his pack in hand, moving past him briefly, their shoulders touching accidentally and making her skin feel like fire. "We'll check North first," she mumbled and lead the way through the undergrowth, shanking away branches with her spear if they got in the way and pushing through things. Her face burned, but she tried concealing it from Peter as they walked quietly.

[shades]

“Golf.” Allie replied simply, his hands moving as he played the cards around. “Peter taught me it.”

Following behind a few paces back, Peter grunted, “okay.” He knew Ellie was trying to avoid him, the brushing of their shoulders made his cheeks flare again. Looking away, “if we can’t find any this way, I remember we passed a water source a few miles back.” He spoke helpfully, rolling his eyes around the trees and area.

~*~

Grunting, his body subconsciously moving to give Jade more access to it. His lips melded against her skin, necking the girl, messing around with her. Hearing her moan, Zach knew he was doing just as she wanted him to do: to give her pleasure. To make her life worth living before she died.

Zach felt his hands moving towards her hair, a finger twirling through it slightly. Nonchalantly, he pressed his body to hers so she didn’t have to arch too much, but her nails also brought him down. Making the young man gasp slightly at the alien feeling, well it had been a long time.

He looked at her coolly, as though nothing happened. Pink lips parted slightly, vulnerable in the moment, but even Zach knew how to fight. Regularly, and in bed.

[Maple ♥]

    Marley pursed her lips, tilting her head as she watched him. "Is it hard to play?" she asked him, really actually interested in his hand movements and placings of the cards. She herself had never been very good at anything, really, nothing. So it made her curious, seeing this card game. She hadn't played a game in a long time, either. That just added to her attraction to it. 

    Ellie cleared her throat and sliced through more branches. "Sounds," hacked through another branch, gritting her teeth, "Great." She really was too prideful, she was. And clumsy, apparently. One brach slipped through her hand and knife came towards her wrist and next thing she knew she had sliced open the skin. Blood started to well there and she let out a brief shout of pain, before dropping the weapon and cursing. "Fuck," she said harshly, pressing her shirt over the wound and feeling her blood leak through the pores of the fabric. Great. Just fantastic. Of course hurts herself infront of the one person she didn't need to. Ellie couldn't look weak in front of him. That was just no good. 

    ___

    Jade laughed a little, her chest pressing into his as she wrapped a leg around one of his. Her head easily let him nuzzle into her, grinning at the playfulness he was finally retaliating. Her eyes lolled a little under their lids, one hand digging into his back still, but the other, moving slowly under the lip of his underwear and tickling the soft skin. 

    Slowly, the hand holding onto him snaked around his back side, pinching their slightly with a smirk, before hooking her thumb around the back and beginning to slid his underwear down a bit. She wasn't even naked yet, but she didn't mind. He might've been playing the dominant role at the moment, but she still had her own tricks up her sleeve. 

    You think a girl might pick a few up after sleeping with hundreds of men. Yes. Hundreds. 

[shades]

“A little. It’s one player, but Peter taught me war and go fish,” Allie looked up, noticing Flynn sitting on a rock, but moving his green eyes to Marley. “Do you wanna play?” He asked, smiling a little. Motioning his cards, shuffling the bit in his hand casually.

Looking at the girl sympathetically, Peter moved forward to help. He pulled off his over-shirt, “you can go back and get that looked at, I’ll find water.” Handing the shirt to Ellie, brown gaze hardening. It looked painful, Peter having some of his own scars in places. He wasn’t exactly the best fighter, and in the end usually does get scars and dings.

He wiggled the shirt a bit, having his t-shirt under it still.

~*~

Taking a deep breath, sucking it in when her fingers went there. The feeling once again unusual and not normal in Zach’s day-to-day life. Hips moving forward lightly, pressing into Jade once his own garment was sliding down. Blue eyes flashed, feeling exposed but aroused deeply. Sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.

[Maple ♥]

    Marley briefly glanced up, remembering Flynn all by himself and feeling bad. He was always there when she felt lonely, so she never wanted to miss an opportunity to do the same for him. Though she was probably over thinking it, because he looked content, she still waved him over to her. "Come play with us, Flynn," she offered with a friendly smile and toss of some hair over her shoulder. 

    Ellie grimaced slightly, sneering a bit bitchily at his offering. "I think I can handle a little cut," she said bitterly and slipped her own shirt over her head, revealing her dirtied tang top and bra cup tips as she did. She tried to forge the sight of the bit of skin Peter had exposed to her when sliding his over shirt off, but it was searing into her brain. With a few wraps of the cloth around her wrist tightly, the sighed, and finally realized her stomach was showing after moving so hastily and taking off her flannel shirt to wrap the wound. Hastily, while glancing at Peter, she pulled the fabric back down towards the hem of her shorts, covering the tan goosebumped skin. 

    "Let's go," she said blandly, her hands shaking so bad she had to clench them into fists as she yanked up her spear with her good hand and pushed through more bushes. 

___

    Jade inhaled deeply, chest rising and falling as she discarded his garments off towards the floor with a flick of her wrist. Then her hands, whcih shook with adrenaline and arousal, pressed against his chest, pecking one kiss to his lips before using her arms to push his body upwards. Once he was stable she let her eyes travel all the way down on him, taking in the sight with a sharp breath, and flashing eyes. Then she was staring up into his, flicking her tongue over her swollen lips and smiling. Slowly, she arched her body upwards towards him, fingers creeping behind her to undo her bra. 

    

[shades]

The young boy didn’t protest when Flynn was snapped out of his trance-like state of watching Mr. Stewart take care of Ruby. Looking them over, nodding slightly, Flynn made his way and sat down next to Allie and Marley; watching the little boy shuffle the cards, fumbling slightly, but not dropping or giving up just yet. He passed out the cards, and made a messy pile for the players to fish in when “Go fish” was spoken.

His shirt left hanging on Peter’s hand, grunting and tying it around his waist. Brown eyes trying to ignore the flicker of skin the girl had revealed to him, and that of her own tank-top clothing. Looking at the trees, walking behind as to avoid her front side, not trusting his own bashful gaze and heated cheeks.

Not saying anything, Peter didn’t trust the sarcastic retort on his tongue. But he also didn’t want to girl to hate any more than she already did, unsure why their entering the group was a problem. Whether it was just her being protective of her family, untrusting, or just plain having problems; Peter had to bite down his tongue from asking.

Merely he just followed Ellie, turning to see and listen when he could, and pushing tree branches out of the way every-so-often, letting them snap back with a crack, thankful Peter was the rear.

~*~

If to say he wasn’t anticipating bodily contact with a woman since the beginning of the mess, Zach would be lying right now. Fingers trailing and crawling lightly towards her last piece of clothing. Inhaling, exhaling, Zach tugged them down slowly from Jade’s legs; feeling the briefest touch of her womanhood and knowing what was next.

To say he wasn’t scared was also a lie. It had been too long. It was a fear in the end he might kill the poor girl, with that urge this time Zacharias might not be able to resist.

Gulping, he tried to pass off the battle of rights and wrongs as sexual worries. Not wanting the young woman to ask what was going on his head and Zach actually telling the truth and having to admit to his worst fear.

[Maple ♥]

    Long, pale fingers spread apart her cards into a fan so Marley could see what she had. Having no matches, and remembering this game clearly enough, she picked up a card and looked at Flynn. "Do you have..." she bit her lip slightly and then her dark gaze flickered up to him. "A seven?" she asked, feeling once again like a little kid playing cards. Not like the world was shit around them or anything. It felt good to forget for a few minutes. 

    Ellie grumbled a bit as she walked, kicking a rock as she went and wincing every time she accidentally bumped her wounded mass on her left hand. She was trying to ignore him as well as he was to her, too prideful and ashamed at the same time to even glance his way for more than five seconds. With a sigh, she was about to comment on where to go, having no luck with water, when her foot slipped downwards into a huge thing of mud. Out of instinct, she reached back and tried to grab something to stop herself from falling, and unfortunately it was Peter's arm. 

    She fell side first into the mud, arms flailing and landing with a plop and a shriek. 

    ___

    Jade, now fully naked against him, inhaled deeply and lifted her fingers to brush away from of his bangs across the top of his forehead. They hadn't even gotten really intimate yet, but she was already sweating and her muscles ached to feel the pleasure they wanted. Her hands slowly moved down to his shoulders and she gave him a smile, pulling him down towards her. She was beyond ready for the contact, the feeling, the pleasure. She wanted it so bad that her hips were squirming slightly and rolled against him almost pleadingly. It was like she needed to feel him as much as he did her. 

[shades]

Sticking out his tongue, heaving a sigh, Flynn tossed a card to Marley with a joked mumble, “stealing my lucky sevens.” Before straightening out and looking to Allie, “do you have a king?”

“Go fish.” Allie responded immediately, raising an eyebrow as Flynn dug into the pile to the bottom and drew a card; giving him a pair of fives. His second pair whereas Allie had one also.

With an un-godly yelp, Peter felt himself being yanked suddenly downwards into the mud; feeling it run between his fingers and splashing on both his shirts, pants, and droplets on his face. Well, being used to mud and dirt nowadays, it wouldn’t be too much to just wash off in a river or even abandoned swimming pool.

“Great.” Peter muttered, looking at Ellie with a grimace as he stood up, wiping off his hands on his jeans and dirtying them even more. Of course, he wasn’t sour for the slip up. One time Peter had sent Allie and he into the mud with Lauren, Ruby the only one spared of the mess. It was slippery, and obviously hard to walk on.

But Ellie seemed like the ‘pay attention’ and ‘on her feet’ girl, he wondered why she had lost her footing so easily. But he didn’t mention that thought out loud, instead looked away as he offered he a hand.

~*~

There bodily contact, just skin to skin, was enough to drive Zacharias forward and press himself to Jade. Blue eyes flickering for her own reaction, trying to mask his own pleasure at the touch. Fingers danced on her arms, gripping one lightly as the other was planted on the bed beside her head, leveling Zach out so he could bump foreheads with the girl, and was able to move around.

Before Jade could say anything, Zach squirmed slightly. Not uncomfortable, no man could be uncomfortable especially after so long without human touch, or even talking. It was a mere slight movement to his own bodily eagerness, and nervousness that he would fail and get kicked out for not being up to standards.

He took a sharp breath, closing his eyes and waiting for the sensual sensation to die down before moving again, only for it to erupt again. Finding his confidence slowly.