With a grunt and the pleasant numbness that accompanies such blissful moments, the man allowed his taxed body to sink down against that of his companion. He planted a few light kisses on her still-sweet neck, then he rolled off her, panting gently as he refastened his fly. When he finally glanced over at the blonde, she had already given herself a quick wiping and was currently pulling her black silk panties back into their proper position.

They didn't talk. They had no reason to. He did what she asked of him. Her. With the seed implanted, they would keep a menstruation watch ... or keep doing it until they were certain she was carrying his child. After all, it was the duty of the survivors to propagate the species. Life had to go on.

She accepted his helping hand up in silence, on the verge of tears yet again. So this is what the cumulative effort of humankind boiled down to, guns and sleeping bags to fuck on. Oh yeah, and the zombies. She checked the clip on her pistol, her thighs still a little trembly, as she felt a few dregs of his semen trickling slowly down her inner thighs. She desperately wanted to embrace him, anyone really, and laze around in bed like a kitten with a belly full of cream. He wouldn't help her. He was an asshole. But, he was also tall, strong, and handsome, where she was short, faintly pudgy, and average. She would've never gotten someone like him if it weren't for ... those things, she told herself.

They walked back towards their improvised shelter. Both of them were on alert as they picked their way through the dense underbrush, scaring up the occasional rabbit or deer. Even in their weary, distracted state, they stayed cautious. They hadn't seen any of the dead in days, going on a week, but that didn't mean they could relax. There were always more waiting somewhere. Hungry.

He glanced over at her, taking her by the wrist and guiding her over a fallen tree. He wanted to slide back into that bag with her, to smell the warm scent of their sex, to have her warm, soft body against him. He could feel in his head the way that her hair feathered as he traced his fingers through it ... he could feel her dozing breath against his bare chest, the warm, pleasant softness of her belly against his side, the life inside her growing stronger. He swallowed back the lump in his throat. She just wanted him for sex, for breeding purposes. When they weren't in a tangle of limbs, she was a frigid bitch to him. On her good days, she just did her best to ignore him.

Into their safe haven from the madness of the outside world they secreted themselves away. It was an abandoned park ranger station with a fire tower and a weather station. There was a bed there and facilities that were adequate for the pair of them: clean water, working plumbing, a diesel generator. There were MREs, C-rations, K-rations, and just about everything they could lay their hands on in the way of food and drink. Their eyes met.

"You should get some sleep."

"I will ... you taking watch?"

He nodded.

"Thanks ... see you in 6 hours."

He gave her a very small smile, "Sure ... if the food doesn't kill me first."

She chuckled. "Oh, you'll live ... just might wish you were dead, though."

He smirked. "Goodnight," simply stated. He managed, however, left out the words of affection that tried to bubble out every time he opened his mouth.

"Night..." she trailed off as she fought back against the urge to drag him to bed with her, to snuggle in his arms as she whispered how she really felt to him, her head resting against the sleek pillow of his chest, curled tightly to his body warmth. Their eyes met once more before he slowly turned away; to stand vigilant as the sun died slowly in the bruised sky. Neither said anything more. They just drifted apart again, opportunity lost. They faded back into the cycle of their existence.

To Be Continued....