"Can you give me a boost?" I blew a bubble. Gum was my stress reliever in situations like this.
I knew I trusted the guy enough to put my gun away but anything beyond that was a different story. Nice guys have failed to stay nice guys countless times both before and after hell on Earth spawned… What made it harder was the mask. I couldn't tell how he felt about anything until he spoke or when emotions tugged on his lips.
My mind was still fluttering around with memories of his sculpted naked body as well as vivid images of his erection. This was an annoying state to be in for sure. I caught myself attempting to steal glimpses of his crotch to see if his ‘problem’ had subsided, it was a curiosity that had very selfish origins. I wasn't proud of the filthy nature of my thoughts, his body, his deep voice, his gray eyes fueling the desirous monsters in the shadowy parts of my mind, playing scenarios of lust heavily inspired by Cable in my head. A miserable rush of guilt for marring the reputation of this stranger. I struggled to keep my heavy breathing under control, willing to use my prior jumping as an excuse if the question came up.
The struggle against my perverted demons at times where unbearable due to Cable’s knack for invading my personal space while trying to inspect the vent I was trying so hard to enter. In his most recent breach of space, his hands were clasped behind his back. Here I noticed the edge of a knife sheath which put me on guard, but almost as if he sensed my tensed muscles his hands fell to his sight and back into my line of sight. My eyes once again lingered on him before forcing myself to move on. I was in a precarious situation indeed but one I was willing to navigate for the time being… because I needed a boost.
Once his weapon was secure in his side holster, I watched as he turned his attention back to me, considering my request for a boost. There was an odd pause almost as if he was analyzing the question itself. I knew he couldn't deny that venturing into the safer floors would be a smarter move. More so than remaining trapped in this room with the possibility of being surrounded by the dead-os across the hall.
"Alright," Cable finally acquiesced, stepping closer to me.
"Get on my shoulders, and be prepared to move quickly once you're inside the vent.”
I popped another bubble unfazed. His order for a quick travel through the vent was strange but I let it pass, choosing to just not comment on it.
I don't know who you're rushing…
Cable chose to issue another misplaced order.
“Oh and keep that gum out of your mouth, unless you want to make it a treat for the deadheads." he was preparing to squat down to boost me up. So I took this chance while he was at eye level and wide open to explain something to him.
“You wouldn’t dare bitch… you need me to get out of this building alive hell you need me to get out of the vent system alive so if I were you… I’d shut the fuck up and stop issuing orders like you the one in control. Now take a knee and give me a boost.” my voice was commanding respect and exuding an air of stern power and control over the situation… I had no intention of being ordered around in my base by some stranger, good-looking or not. I had felt guilty about not being gentle in pointing out Cable's obvious blunder of his weapon but his mistake of opening his mouth and issuing orders made me rethink that guilt. As I chewed my gum I mentally retracted that feeling, I remembered his threat…
This guy had a sharp tongue and little empathy, the best thing to watch out for with him is probably his innate ability to get under my skin, and more importantly, avoid his prolonged touch, my brain has been plagued enough for one day. It might be wise to watch and control information around him, but on the same avenue hesitation and misinformation gets people killed… the dilemma was quite a taxing one.
Without another word, Cable crouched down, creating a stable base for me to climb onto. His broad shoulders and strong frame brought a certain reassurance that came with his physical abilities. His touch lingered on my ankle gave me a sense of stability and gave way to the dark cravings in the back of my mind.
At least those muscles aren't just for show…
He seemed extremely on edge, his body tensely coiled, and his mind appeared to be focusing on helping me escape rather than dwelling on the risk he was taking in this more vulnerable position. I felt too guilty for leaving him so stressed and feeling vulnerable.
"It helps me think," I revealed.
“Huh? What does?” his gravelly voice peaked in curiosity.
“The gum! I chew gum because it keeps me calm, calms me down when I'm upset somehow, and it helps me think… think cigarette for a smoker and you got the idea. Gum has been the only thing that works at calming me and keeping me calm.”
“It sounds like an addiction.” Cable was clearly dismayed by me snapping at him but it was to bring him up to speed, besides that he seemed to largely keep his emotions under wraps.
“Anything can be an addiction if it's overdone or overused, just like in small doses anything can be soothing, hey get me a little higher, to be honest, it's majorly up to preference. But no matter what, it’s the little things that keep you together in this fucked world.”
I blew another bubble successfully making it inside the vent noting his height as I reached down to help him up into the vent as well…
"the vent is gonna be a tight fit for you.'' Meanwhile, I had plenty of room to maneuver. I was stretching out my hand for him to grab, pulling him into the vent almost effortlessly.
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The space was cramped for a man of his stature and the vent left little room for him to crawl comfortably but I occasionally peaked over my shoulder to see him making due. It was obvious that the tight confines made him uncomfortable, his larger frame pressed against the tight vent, but he seemed to push through it with sheer willpower.
There were occasions I would stop and he would run face-first into my ass… My patience was being tested but it was too dark in here to reprimand him. But he also took note of the occasional collisions we shared and tried to help alleviate my rising annoyance.
“There are nicer ways to get your ass kissed you know.” His statement made me immediately suck my teeth in mild annoyance. His comment made me crack a small smile unbeknownst to him.
“Oh please, if I wanted anything intimate I wouldn't waste your time asking you to kiss my ass,” I spoke matter-of-factly continuing the perverse nature of the conversation.
“Oh really? And what would you deem more worth my time to ask of me.” His tone was very flirtatious as he tried to dig for more information.
“Currently that's not a problem you need to worry about facing, just keep your distance to the best of your ability. ‘Kay?” his silence was short-lived as Cable chose to further test my patience and self-control.
As I turned the metal corner I felt his hand delicately or more accurately nervously caress a path quickly from my ass to my flank. My body tensed and my head collided with the top of the vent filling me with flustered embarrassment and anger.
“Touch me without my saying so again, and I will murder you and toss your body to the dead-os. Do I make myself clear?”
Silence filled the vent once again and I returned to navigating its cramped halls. My core tingled in persistent response to his touch, only standing as a distraction as I attempted to shake the thoughts. I took a moment to center myself before returning to the role of navigator. The silence became deafening so I called back to Cable to ensure he was still tailing me.
“You okay back there?”
"I've dealt with worse," Cable muttered, adjusting himself as he spoke. I couldn't tell if that was a lie or not but honestly, it wasn't my concern, and he didn't seem like the type to spew information on his vulnerabilities so I let him live in his delusional bubble so long as he didn't lose his mind or start panicking within the cramped confines of the metal shaft.
The vent felt constricting at times and spacious at other points, but he maintained his composure while we navigated the tight spaces efficiently. Aside from his labored breaths and calming square breathing he ultimately moved with a silence which prompted me to look back and make sure he was still following me, particularly during those moments of silence. For a big dude, he was stealthy.
In this limited space packed with the air of discomfort, there was little we could do for conversation except for the occasional direction or suggestion. Cable seemed to be extremely vigilant, keenly aware of the faint sounds of shuffling, rattling chains, and distant moans that echoed within the vent system. His hand subconsciously tightened into white-knuckled fists, his demeanor exuding an air of determination.
With my guidance, we maneuvered through the vent with calculated efficiency, allowing for minimal noise and impact. I made sure to take vent paths that avoided vents that I was unsure of being able to bear his weight and mine, doing this made the trip slightly longer but it was worth it in the end.
I watched Cable peek through every open vent shutter taking special interest in the marked vent doors, As we moved. The anticipation of what waited for us on the safer floors consumed me but especially seemed to be his driving force. I knew that I would have to deal with the threat he brought to my doorstep but for now, I just wanted to get to my safe house.
Continuing our steady progress through the ventilation system, Cable seemed to start getting restless and uneasy so I gave him a little hope because it was in my best interest to keep him calm or at the very least sane.
“Keep it together, we're almost there,” I said, sounding almost unamused.
“Really? What’s our ETA?” his voice seemed to drip with desperation.
“So you are a military man, good to know… around two minutes…” I could almost feel the holes he was burning into me with his glare but his fidgeting seemed to stop. Which was good.
We had finally made it to the safe house. I checked to see if the barricade was still functioning before opening the vent, confirming that the coast was indeed clear and that the floor was still safe. The dead-os were like roaches if you see one there are actually hundreds and I was not one to forget their knack of getting into places that shouldn't even be possible for them to be.
I then pushed through the vent door holding it open only for myself as I climbed through the tight opening prioritizing being ready for any rash actions from Cable now that he was brought to the safer portion of the building.
Once I had climbed out of the vent, Cable wriggled his way through following my lead, his broad shoulders scraping against the metal edges, a slight grunt escaping his lips. Despite the discomfort he experienced, he managed to slide out into the safer floor, his gaze quickly scanning the environment, his hand gravitating to his gun while his gaze passed over the floor.
My eyes wearily glanced at his hand and then looked at him in the blacked-out eye holes of his mask. I spoke up in an effort to defuse his intensity.
“Claustrophobic much?” my voice was cocky, a smug smile tugging on the corners of my lips.
Shrugging off my comment, I watched Cable clench his jaw, seemingly choosing to refuse to show any more vulnerability than he already had.
"Anything more comfortable than that vent would be preferable. But that doesn't mean I'm afraid of small spaces," he retorted, despite his evident past discomfort.
As he adjusted his gear and found his bearings, Cable's gaze seemed to turn towards me, once more.
"Now that we're here, what's the plan? Or do you typically just wander around hoping for the best? Or do you plan to make a request more worth my time?" His tone contained a hint of restrained sarcasm with heavy flirtation.
Hearing his comment made me laugh out loud accidentally giving off a rude air.
"Ha! Not a chance! I was gonna give you a chance of safe passage out of the building but only if you help me clear and secure the first floor… this is your fault after all and if you promise to help me clear it I will promise to never make you crawl through a cramped vent ever again. Fair?"
Cable’s unchanging masked expression charmingly morphed into a genuine smile that tugged at the corners of his lips in response to my burst of laughter, apparently finding humor amidst the turmoil of our situation. It was an ultimatum he didn't look like he gave much thought, a partnership he nodded and accepted even if it was a temporary alliance.
“I’ll accept but I’m kinda sad here I thought you were gonna ask me for a more fun favor.” Cable gently made me meet his gaze by pushing my chin up, his rough hands caressing my cheek’s soft skin. I concealed the shiver my body underwent by reminding him of my previous threat.
“All that work to get to a safer place only to die? Was touching me worth that much?” Cable retracted his hand apparently understanding that he was crossing a line and bordering retaliation.
His smirk faded back into his stoic expression as I laid out my proposition in greater detail, clearly not backing down or sugarcoating any of the blame I placed in his lap, but I didn't feel bad for pointing it out because it was true and it was our current predicament we now had to fix. There was a sort of twisted logic in my reasoning, and fairness was a concept I was trying to make Cable understand on some level. He Paused for a carefully considered moment. My words looked like they sunk in as he gave me a curt nod, but he had a condition of his own.
"Fair enough, but I have one request, I know I have no grounds to be making demands or anything but I haven't eaten for four days now… I’m weak and dizzy. Even a granola bar would do, please." he agreed with an alarming plea as to his condition. Sympathy gnawed at me as I dug for more information.
“Four days? Have you been on the move the entire time too?” he nodded but it was hard to gauge his sincerity.
“Look, I know the mask is your whole thing but I need to see your whole face right now.” he reluctantly nodded and pulled it off to the side of his face and looked me in my eyes.
“I swear, I'm starving. I drank my last water bottle this evening around the time I found this building. I'm just hungry. I'll help you clear the entire building if I need to.” I could hear the desperation in his voice. His mouth has learned to stay neutral but his eyes were giving off the silent pleas for me to trust him.