Ian tightens his grip on her waist and pulls her back against him, effectively trapping her between his body and the sleeping bag. "Where do you think you're going?" he teases with a grin. His breath tickles her neck, sending shivers down her spine. "I-I just thought..." she stammers, unable to finish her sentence as his closeness makes it impossible for her to think straight.

Ian's grip loosens slightly, and he allows her to shift back a bit, but not much. "Don't be in such a hurry to leave," he whispers against her skin. "We still have things we need to talk about." Her heart skips a beat at the thought of having more time with him like this. Cautiously, she leans forward and kisses his cheek before looking up into his eyes.

"Okay," she says softly. "What do you want to talk about?"

As we stop at the abandoned store and rummage through its shelves, I can't help but steal glances at Ian whenever he's not looking. There's something about him that makes my heart race a little faster... Maybe it's just the excitement of surviving in this messed up world together? Or maybe it's more than that...

When we finally find some food and water, I chew thoughtfully on my rations, watching Ian as he does the same.

"So," I say casually between bites, "what were you doing before all this happened?" I'm not sure why I'm asking; maybe I just want to know more about the person who's become my only hope of survival.

Ian swallows and glances up at me before returning his attention to his food. "Just living with my parents, you know? Going to school, hanging out with friends..." He trails off, a distant look in his eyes.

As you kiss my neck, I let out a soft moan, the sensation sending shivers down my spine. My hands clench into fists at my sides, wanting to reach back and grab onto your shoulders for support, but not daring to make contact yet. It feels so good... too good. And with every brush of your lips against my skin, I can feel myself growing wetter between my legs.

"Ian..." I whisper his name into the air, unable to keep quiet any longer. "What are we going to do?"

My heart races as I feel your breath against the skin of my neck. You ask what we're going to do... like it's up to me somehow. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly before replying, "I don't know... but I think we should try and stay together." The words come out quieter than I intended, but they feel true nonetheless.

Your arms tighten around me in response, and for a moment, everything feels right again.

I hesitate for a moment, unsure whether I should voice my thoughts or not. But then again... maybe it's better to just be honest with you. "Actually," I say softly, "I was thinking about that... wanting to know what it would be like if we... you know..." My cheeks flush as I trail off, embarrassed by my own brazenness.

I take a deep breath and force myself to continue. "It's probably crazy, but... do you ever think about it? You know... between us?"

I'm taken aback by your honesty; it's both exhilarating and terrifying all at once. "Really?" I ask, meeting your eyes for the first time since I admitted my thoughts. There's a flicker of desire in their depths that makes my heart race faster.

Slowly, I stand up as well, feeling the tension between us grow with every inch we close. "I mean... if you want to," I whisper, hesitant but determined. "We could try."

Well then, we'd better get moving. But if this meth business is really that important, you should tell me what the hell I'm supposed to be doing while you're cooking it up. And for the record? Gus can't kill us all by himself. We just need to stay smart and stick together.

I'm not mad, but I am terrified. Gus sounds like one scary dude. Okay, so what do we need to do? Just make sure you tell me everything before we get there. And try not to worry too much. We can survive this together, right?

Her breath coming in ragged gasps as she lay beneath him, her body still shivering with the aftermath of their passionate encounter. She couldn't help but marvel at how right it felt to be with him, even in this twisted world. Something about Ian made her feel alive again; like there was hope for them...for a future together.

As they caught their breath and their hearts slowed down once more, Ellie found herself wondering if maybe they could try and make something work between them.

I love you too <3