Long Road Home: Pt. 5

[acquiescence]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

---

Jeff wasn’t even sure how he made it back to the road again. He was pretty sure he’d been on his last legs back there, so for him to continue putting one foot in front of the other, even if he was leaning heavily against Misha, was pretty damn impressive. His muscles were screaming, aching for some relief, anything to ease the pain that coursed through his body with each step he took.

And yet they kept on, pushing on slowly.

They had to get away. As much as Jeff wanted to collapse right there in Michael’s camp, Misha had been right; they couldn’t stay. They’d taken as much as they could carry with them, including all the guns to discourage any of the men who weren’t killed from following them. Jeff didn’t think they could ever really stop worrying about them, but knowing they’d have to return to their own town before coming after them again with any sort of real weapons was encouraging.

His back ached; the bruises that he’d been doing his best to ignore earlier were now more prevalent than ever. He couldn’t ignore each stab of pain that ran up his side as he walked. It made their progress slow - slower than Jeff had ever traveled before, and as much as he would have liked to speed things up he couldn’t make his body do what he wanted.

They made slow progress, moving through the night. They were both tired and sore, and as the night wore on they were leaning against each other for support more and more.

“You were pretty stupid back there, you know.” Jeff had to start talking or else he would have fallen asleep right there on his feet, stabbing pain and all.

“What, you mean saving your ass?”

“Playing the hero,” Jeff clarified. “You could have gotten yourself killed.” He gave him a pointed look. He’d tried to show Misha how to use a gun before, attempting to teach him how to hunt, in case he ever did follow through with his original plan of ditching him; at least he could let him go with a clean conscience knowing that Misha knew how to hunt and feed himself if he were on his own.

“Right, I suppose you had everything under control, then?”

“Course I did.”

“Uh huh.”

“It was stupid what you did; you didn’t have to risk your life for me.” He ran his tongue over his lips, dry and cracked after too long without water.

“Ditto, old man.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I. You don’t know me; I’m just some guy you got stuck with.” Jeff didn’t try to deny it, what would be the point? “Why would you ever even consider risking your life for me? You got beat up enough without coming back for more, to rescue someone you hardly even know.”

Jeff shrugged; he’d thought the very same things, and yet it hadn’t been an option for him to leave Misha behind. “You’re all I got, kid.” It could have been sweet, if it hadn’t been completely and utterly true.

They lapsed into silence as they pushed on through the night. The sounds and rustling that used to keep him awake before he’d gotten used to sleeping out in the wild were sounding out full force around them now. They came at them from all sides; while the world seemed like nothing but an empty shell during the day, at night you could really tell just how much had survived. The earth pulsed and moved around them; animals and insects came out of their daylight hiding places.

Jeff was lucky they hadn’t been too far from the town when they had been ambushed, so making up the distance wasn’t too much of a hardship for them. Before the sky started turning grey on the horizon they reached the outskirts of this new town.

“Slowly, now,” Jeff cautioned, though he doubted very much the warning was needed.

Cautiously they made their way into the town, taking sideroads when they could, checking for any signs of life as they went. Jeff would really hate to have to kill anyone again; there had already been more than enough of that for one night, but he wouldn’t let them get swept up into the same sort of situation again either.

A slow and thorough check of the town and Jeff decided they were alone, which was a relief. The sun was starting to rise, but it was still more night than day.

“Let’s find something with a sturdy roof, maybe a bed, if possible, and get some rest,” Jeff suggested as he limped along with Misha towards a home that looked almost completely structurally sound.

They had to kick the door down to get inside, but it fell easily from its hinges with the most minimal of kicks. The home looked like it had been abandoned pretty quickly when things had gone down. There were still bowls and plates on the kitchen table, food in the cabinets too - that would have to be inspected later, but now was for sleeping.

It was like his body knew that it was almost time to sleep; it slowly started getting harder and harder to put one foot in front of the other, though with Misha’s help he made it up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms. It looked to be the master, though Jeff didn’t feel up to inspecting the others to make sure. The bed was large and that was all that mattered at this point.

Falling on the bed face first, Jeff groaned. It had been so fucking long since he’d been able to lie on a real bed, he’d forgotten what it had been like - it was sinful and the most amazing thing he’d ever felt in his entire life. He never wanted to get up; he would lie right here for the rest of his days.

“God, you’ve got to lie down,” Jeff said, reaching out a hand for Misha where he stood beside the bed. A quick tug had the other man collapsing onto the bed beside him. “Have you ever felt anything so fucking fantastic?”

Misha laughed. “It is pretty amazing,” he agreed.

“It’s more than amazing,” Jeff protested. “This has got to be what heaven is like. Beds for as far as the eye can see, and you never have to get up.” Jeff hummed in pleased self-satisfaction; now that would be the sort of heaven he could get behind.

“I always imagined heaven to be cloudier.”

“Fuck off, it’s mattresses.”

“Whatever you say.”

Jeff grunted his assent before he pushed himself up higher on to the bed. Pillows - just when this whole bed thing couldn’t get any better, there were pillows. He groaned as he pressed his face into the stale fabric.

“We’re never leaving,” he declared, though even he knew that was a lie.

“Sure we aren’t.”

“Get some sleep,” Jeff muttered, picking up the pillow beside him and lobbing it sloppily in Misha’s direction; a low chuckle was the only indication that his target had his its mark.

---

It was quiet when Jeff woke, sunlight streaming in through a window - an actually honest-to-God window, complete with blinds and curtains - it’s warm on his face, comforting as it wraps its way around the room, pulling everything into its embrace.

Jeff stretched, the only sound to be heard the slow, steady breathing of the man beside him. Jeff didn’t even remember falling asleep, and he wonders now how long they’ve been out. He’d get up and try and figure out the time of day if this bed wasn’t so Goddamn comfortable.

He was starting to rethink his need to keep moving, if only for this bed. He knew it was stupid, knew they were still too close to the men they’d left behind to stick around in this area, but it would have been nice. There would be other beds - or so Jeff hoped. Yawning, Jeff stretched his legs all the way down to his toes, and he wondered when he’d actually taken the time to kick off his boots - his shirt, too, he realized now that he was taking stock of his state of dress.

He must have been more tired than he’d realized, or he’d had a little help once he’d passed out.

Misha lay beside him, only in a pair of shorts. Miles and miles of bare skin there as he slept on, more obvious now the way the sun has changed the color of his skin – warm caramel until it reached the lighter shades that had been hidden by a shirt. Jeff had to look away or else his mind would start wandering, and that was never a good thing for his mind to do, especially after he’d just woken up.

Instead, he kicked off his jeans, rummaged around in one of their packs quietly for some water and drained it in one fell swoop, before he was clambering back into that warm heavenly bed beside Misha, his eyes easily drifting shut again.

It was the warm body curled up against his own that woke him the second time. A soft sigh as he stretched pressing himself forward was enough to drag him back into wakefulness. He was on his side this time, Misha’s back pressed snuggly against his chest, curling himself protectively around the other man, arm slung possessively over his waist while he’d slept.

He pulled his hand back, startled at the position he’d found himself in and rolled onto his back. He thought about apologizing, but in the end decided it was safest not to mention anything about it at all. Misha turned as he did, lying on his stomach now, glancing up at Jeff with sleep-smudged eyes.

“Morning.”

It was easier to tell now, but the sun was dipping down under the horizon this time; not quite morning.

“Something like that,” Jeff murmured, his voice still clinging to sleep.

“Something like that.”

A lazy grin curled its way across his face as Jeff stretched again; it was going to be hard sleeping on the ground again after this bed, and he didn’t want to think about that much - not yet, at least. They could probably say here another day, at least another night - it was getting dark and he didn’t want to travel in the dark unless they had to.

“I think we’ll stay another night and head out some time tomorrow.” He voiced his thoughts, glancing at Misha.

The other man nodded thoughtfully, but didn’t say anything.

Jeff lay back again, staring up at the ceiling above them.

It was the dip of the mattress beside him that made Jeff look over. He’d moved away when he woke up curled around Misha, though Misha was much closer now than he should have been.

“I know… I know you’re going to try and tell me to stop, that I don’t need to do this,” Misha started. “But I want to cut you off now before I start. I want to do this, and I hope you’ll just give me a chance, okay?”

Jeff didn’t get a chance to even frown with confusion before Misha was leaning forward, pressing his lips to Jeff’s. There was less hesitance and more need in this kiss than there had been in the last. Jeff could feel it flowing hot and warm against his skin, just asking to be let in. Begging for Jeff to take, to open and just take.

He was tense, more than he should have been while his lips were so hungry for more. He sighed inwardly; how long did he have to go back and forth about this, how long did he have to deny himself? It had been so long since there had been anyone for him, and now here was this man … this man who was just as fucked up as he was, but maybe they could make this work - maybe if he stopped putting on the breaks, maybe if he stopped questioning everything and just let it happen.

Instead of pushing the other man away, Jeff’s hands moved slowly, tentatively, fingertips sliding up over bare arms and curling around the back of Misha’s neck, drawing him in closer as his tongue swept forward, seeking, wanting, tasting.

It was the soft hint of a moan that had Jeff breathing harder, licking and kissing and biting and taking. He wanted to drink him in, he wanted to take every bit of Misha inside himself and cradle it all.

Misha leant forward more, his hands roaming across Jeff’s chest, finger-light touches becoming surer, more firm as they sought out bare skin, the warm liquid singing heat of skin against skin, flesh against flesh.

“Ah, ah.” Jeff hissed as Misha pressed against a particularly sore spot, laughing a moment later. “Careful with me, I’ve had a rough few days.”

“I’ll do my best.”

And words were lost again in a tangle of lips and tongue, whimpers and groans.

It was Jeff who pressed forward next. Fingers skating along bare back, muscle and bone and skin. The warm smooth expanse of skin all the more tempting. “Come here.” Jeff pulled Misha against him, wincing at the feeling of muscles pulling and twisting in ways they shouldn’t just yet, but he couldn’t seem to make himself care.

Their lips met again, soft and lingering this time, taking their time; neither was pulling away now, exploring and tasting in ways they hadn’t yet. It was new and brilliant, and Jeff let his tongue tease warm over Misha’s lips, almost to the point of frustration, wringing a whimpered plea for more before he deepened the kiss drawing Misha closer as he surged forward.

It had been years since he’d kissed like this, lazy and slow, hungry and primal, kissing for the pleasure in it alone and nothing else. Years since he’d taken the time to simply kiss for kissing’s sake. And God, it was even better than he’d remembered. The easy way something so simple as a brushing of lips over another’s could make him melt, make his body go limp with desire and want, make him forget everything else in the world but that one other person.

He kissed Misha for what seemed like hours, hours and hours before they pulled away, drawing in long deep lungfulls of air, only to surge forward again kissing until the urge to breathe became too great to ignore.

“Fuck.”

“You’re not too bad at that.”

“Had a little experience in my day.”

“Sure you have, old man.”

Jeff growled and pushed up on Misha’s shoulders, rolling them both over so Misha was on his back now. It was better this way, better when he could press him down into the mattress, when he could feel the warm acquiescence of the body beneath his own as well as the firm want pressed against his thigh. And God did he want all of that, everything Misha would offer.

“Please.”

“What do you want, darlin’?” Jeff slipped back into the drawl he’d picked up during his youth, the one that only came out when he was tired or too preoccupied with other things to think about covering it up.

A roll of hips was his answer, further evidence of just what exactly it was that Misha wanted. He chuckled softly, kissing Misha’s neck when he threw his head back into the sinful softness of the pillow behind.

“I’ll take care of you,” he assured him, teeth dragging across sensitive skin, leaving it angry red before he soothed his tongue over the same path.

He wanted to give Misha all that he wanted now, and yet the twinge in his back and the ache of his muscles stopped him short. Maybe when he wasn’t practically a cripple he could give them both what they so desperately wanted. Tonight, though, tonight he had something else in mind.

---

They left late the next morning, the sun already climbing in the sky. They’d found more food in the house they’d been staying in and were able to fill their water bottles. Jeff decided they should only keep two of the guns, along with his original; the others they emptied of bullets and hid away in the house before they’d left.

The road stretched out before them, and for the first time since he’d started this Godforsaken trip Jeff felt like he finally had a place to go when it was all over. A place he might even be able to call home in the end.

“Come on, then.” Misha smirked as he started out ahead of Jeff.

“Yeah yeah, I’m comin’.” He shook his head.

“Yeah I know, you’re slow ‘cause you’re old,” Misha supplied.

“Something like that.”

“So how much longer you think we’re going to be doing this?”

“Don’t you worry about that, darlin’, I’ll know it when we get there.” Jeff grinned and slung an arm around Misha’s shoulders as they walked. It would still be a while before he was completely healed, before he walked without a limp and didn’t ache when he lay down at night, but he was ready to start down that road.


fin.


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5