Author's note:
This is the third part of a 70,000 word novel, which I've divided into seven chapters. All seven have been completed and will be posted in sequence. The story takes place about one hundred years into the future. Chapters can be enjoyed individually, but the dramatic tension is strongest if you start with chapter one.
"After the End" is a genre romance: It is a fantasy about the progression of a relationship, with an interplay of both sexual and emotional elements. I personally find the sex to be very hot, and the romance to be very satisfying. I hope you will as well, but feel free to focus on just one or the other, based on your mood or interest.
A couple of notes on the story as a whole:
- I am new to writing, so I'd love to hear what you responded to or didn't. I have very much appreciated all the feedback I received on my previous postings.
- I am genderqueer but biologically female, so I don't always have first-hand experience with the M/M sex depicted. However, I have combined personal knowledge with research to tell the most realistic story I can.
I hope you enjoy!
Tags for this chapter include: #bisexual male, #romance, #gay romance, #dystopia, #novel, #first time, #submission, #tickling, #teasing, #restraint
_______________
Avery:
By mid-October, our new settlement was taking shape. We'd found a location near an old national forest where the land was wide and wild enough to support us, plus easy to defend. To the north, high ridges and exposed rock cliffs blocked any approach. A river flowing along our east side provided fresh water and another natural barrier to attack. Longleaf pine woods sloped down to the west and south, where we could hunt, grow food, and graze livestock.
The land had been farmed at some point, but it must have been abandoned decades ago. Rotting wooden buildings, some rusted-out equipment, and the faint impression of rectangular fields were all that remained.
Far enough above the river to be safe from flooding, we cleared a few trees and built some rough structures. We called it Fort Laurel - slightly aspirational, but we began work on an outer fence and some guard towers immediately. For the most part, we continued living out of tents, fortified with salvaged posts and some old plastic sheeting we found in the ruins of a barn.
We worked long hours on all the projects that went into creating our new home. Although winter at this latitude was mild, it still took careful preparation to feed ourselves through it. We gathered as many late-autumn fruits and nuts as we could find: berries, persimmons, muscadine grapes, pecans. We hunted, fished, dressed the kills, and smoked the meat. There was a lot of guard duty, overnight trips for survey and supplies, debates over priorities, plus all the everyday crises. If it wasn't a storm flattening part of our fence or a heavy rain swelling the river past safe crossing levels, it was a bear attack on our food stores, an accidental axe injury, or an argument that came to blows.
As commander, Julian was busy around the clock directing our efforts, which meant I was too. Though we still hid our personal relationship when we were in public, we were able to work together much of the time without attracting special attention. I doubted I would ever be able to lead the way he did, but I soaked up all the training he could squeeze in.
Now that we all had private living space again, I could usually sneak off to join Julian every few nights. Our days and evenings were so full that we were usually too tired for anything but quick orgasms and collapsing into bed before the next emergency hit. Often enough, Julian was roused in the middle of the night to deal with some problem or other.
It had been about a month and a half since that memorable last night at Sabine Ridge, when I'd finally confessed my feelings for him and had been shocked to learn that Julian was interested in me too. Between our daily work-related collaboration and the number of nights we'd spent together, I was slowly getting used to the idea. I still didn't know why he would choose me when he could have been with anyone, yet I couldn't deny that he
was
with me.
One particularly good day, when we judged Fort Laurel would be able to keep us sheltered and supplied through winter, we gave ourselves something like a holiday. After weeks of nearly continuous work, we all deserved a rest. The hunters brought in a couple of the wild boars that roamed this area, and we feasted during the afternoon. The first batch of cider had just finished fermenting, so we divided it out and toasted our safety.
I noticed Julian leaving the main campfire early in the night, and I knew he'd be waiting. It had been about a week since we'd had much time for anything besides work and sleep, so I made my way to his tent as soon as I could. Anxious excitement brewed in my stomach as I walked to the far end of camp, where Julian had set up his quarters. Every time with him was special, but I hoped something new would happen tonight. Something I was nervous about, but also really wanted.
As soon as I ducked through his tent's entrance, Julian pulled me in for a kiss, which I returned with equal passion. I still loved the way I felt when this man kissed me, that addictive combination of defenseless and safe. Normally, his mouth inflamed me with such need that it was never long before we moved on. This time, though, I wasn't sure I was ready to move on, so I let him kiss me without interrupting.
"You're patient tonight," Julian said, moving back so he could see my face in the dim lamplight.
"I've missed you."
"Me too." He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside, revealing the bold ink designs scrawled with precision across his torso. Desire unfolded in my depths at the sight of his sculpted strength. Beneath the tattoos, his skin was a smooth medium brown, almost bronze.
He grabbed the hem of my shirt, and I lifted my arms so he could peel it over my head. But when he reached for my belt, I stopped his hand.
Julian tilted his head to study me. "Is something wrong?"
"No, I just...thought we could try something different tonight," I said, wishing I didn't get so self-conscious around him. Still, better to have this conversation before I was naked.
"Oh? Like what?"
"Isn't there anything we haven't done, that you want to do?" Maybe he would say it, and I wouldn't have to.
"Sure." He watched me. "Something in particular?"
"Yes." Internally, I cursed the way my face always colored and gave me away. Even after a summer in the sun, my own skin wasn't dark enough to fully hide the extra flush. I tried to ignore it.
