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They had been lucky when they'd found this place, abandoned and desolate- just like them. It was off the beaten track, down an old access road that probably hadn't existed on a map even before the Pulse. But they were trackers, hunter and predator, they'd found it easily enough. They'd hoped to find a forgotten Ranger Station to hole up in for a day or two.
What they'd found was this- a rambling farmhouse, small enough to run on it's own solar generator and have water pumped from a well that tapped the ground water from cascade glacial runoff, but large enough for a small family.
It was perfect. Even the interior. Underneath a decade or more of dust lay perfectly pristine plastic covered furniture, pots and pans, bedding, and even clothes were packed and labelled, safely stored away for owners who never returned.
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It had started simply enough that first day with the prospect of sleeping, not only, on a real bed, but clean sheets. Two beds were cleaned and made in record time.
That night, Ben was awoken by soft mewls from the next room. He knew the signs, recognized the torment.
Ever since he'd rescued Alec, the slightly younger transgenic had suffered some form of nightmare. Of course Alec stubbornly refused to talk about them, which left Ben to comfort against an unknown enemy, while simultaneously attempting to discover its identity.
Ben crept to Alec's bed, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder to let him know he wasn't alone. It was usually enough to keep the demons at bay.
The second day, Ben had suggested, "We should cover the windows- better concealment."
He and Alec had searched the house for the thickest most luxurious fabrics they could find to hang over all the windows.
Alec had watched in fascination as Ben had single handedly hung the living room curtains. The curtains themselves were impressive, a thick green velveteen that matched Ben's eyes, but it was the stretch and play of skin and muscle over Ben's bare back that took his breath away.
The third day, they fixed the plumbing and the generator. Hot baths and a working kitchen greeted them that night.
They sat in the large kitchen, Ben chopping vegetables with a sure deft hand that made Alec wonder exactly what other feats those hands could perform, and Alec filleting the rabbit Ben had caught, with the self-confident skill and ease that Ben so admired.
On the fourth day, they discovered what had once been a vegetable garden. Between the two of them, they had it cleared by nightfall.
Shirtless and sweaty, they made their way into the house, grateful for the large claw foot baths- though both men secretly wished there had been only one.
Alec laid in bed, content for the first time since he'd understood the concept. Only one thing could have made him feel anymore perfect, but, he behind all his bravado, he doubted Ben felt the same. Sure Ben had rescued him from Manticore, but they were, literally, cut from the same cloth, it didn't mean anything beyond that and he wouldn't delude himself into thinking otherwise.
On the fifth day, they decided to stay.
Ben had fought with his own demons. He knew what he was capable of, and he knew what he wanted. That's why he'd risked returning to Manticore for Alec. Maybe it was time he told Alec.
Alec was sitting on the porch soaking in the last of the evening sun, smiling a true smile for the first time Ben could remember. Silently Ben came to rest next to Alec, their matching eyes trying to read the secrets hidden by the other. Ben leaned into Alec, "We should stay."
Alec's smile widened. "Together?"
Something in the way Alec spoke answered all of Ben's questions. Turning slightly, he cupped Alec's face in his hand and pressed gentle, sure lips to his. "Always," he replied when they broke the chaste kiss.
On the sixth day, they knew they were home.