Relay for Life (9 page)

Andrew pushed up on his knees, and Marcel gave his back a pat as if to encourage him. He crawled forward before wrapping his arms around Matthew’s shoulders and bringing his head down to press a kiss on his lips. He wasn’t sure they were at the kisses-for-comfort stage in their relationship yet, but he knew kissing felt good and anything to take the haunted expression on Matthew’s face away was all right to use in his book.
“You don’t have to do that,” Matthew murmured against his lips. “You don’t have to do that for me.”
“I want to,” Andrew whispered. “All you agents have this hundred-yard stare that says you’ve walked through hell and come out the other side scarred. Let me comfort you where I can.”
Marcel pushed off the rock and came over to where they sat. “
We
want to comfort you.”
“You’re a field agent, too,” Matthew protested weakly as Marcel circled around behind him and pressed kisses to his neck.
“I’m a field agent whose first and only assignment was to accompany a run kid wherever he went. I haven’t seen an actual field mission since I was a trainee at the academy, and that was a closed course with a few rambling infected at best. You have true horrors in your past, Matthew. Let us ease you a bit.” With that, Marcel’s hand slid down to cup Matthew’s bulge.
Andrew was surprised that Marcel seemed so keen on the idea. He’d been the one who had been the edgiest when it came to performing sex acts together. Maybe Matthew hadn’t been the only one unnerved by what they’d seen. It seemed like everyone needed to reaffirm the fact they were human and very much alive. Andrew swallowed. He’d known from the second they’d found the condom gel that they’d be having sex, but he hadn’t expected it to be so soon.
“Hey, shh, we won’t do anything you don’t want to,” Matthew said, clearly reading his mind.
“But I want this.” Andrew swallowed. “I’m scared it’s too fast and too soon, but I want it.” If he were being completely honest, he needed this as much as the two of them seemed to need him.
Matthew swallowed, tilting his head to give Marcel better access to the column of his throat. “I don’t deserve this,” he murmured. “You two have been in love forever. It was okay when it was a bit of fun, but this feels…”
“Different, more,” Andrew supplied, filling in where he couldn’t. He understood what he meant. Even if he didn’t understand what the larger implications were. “You started this, Matthew. You’re a part of this now. Be with us.”
Andrew saw the fight go out of Matthew in an instant, and a sense of rightness filled him. This was the way things were supposed to be. This was how they were meant to be together. Call it instinct, fate, whatever label anyone wanted to attach to it, from the moment they’d met, their destinies had been intertwined.
“Come further up on the bank where the ground is a bit softer,” Matthew murmured, reaching out to grab his pack. “I want a blanket laid down for us.”
The gesture was sweet, exactly what the moment called for. He’d thought their first sex would be rough and desperate to match the tone of their situation. However, this somehow suited the emotions better, gentled them somehow. Andrew stripped out of his shirt and pushed his shorts down his hips in one smooth motion as Marcel and Matthew worked in unison to spread out the blanket and arrange their packs as pillows of a sort. Andrew toed off his shoes and stood on them to pull off his socks as well. His feet sank into the slightly soft ground, but it wasn’t unpleasant. He felt like he’d worn his shoes for years.
Marcel tossed the lotion and condom gel onto the blanket before pulling off his shirt and then bending down to unlace his combat boots. Andrew’s heart stuttered at the sight. This was the first time he’d seen either of them in the light. Their moonlight tangles had been wonderful, but there was something even more intimate about seeing his soon-to-be lovers in the bright afternoon sun. It was probably stupid and slightly suicidal to strip down to nothing, but the risk was worth it. They all needed this too much to be denied.
Matthew helped Marcel out of his pants, kissing his mouth as his hand worked on the buttons and zipper. Andrew’s cock hardened at the sight of them kneading one another’s lengths with their tongues thrusting and withdrawing in a blatant mimicry of sex. He didn’t feel left out in the least because he knew that they were in part doing it for him as well.
I’m a little bit of a voyeur
.
He sat down on the blanket and took in the picture before him. With the calm creek bubbling behind them and bracketed by trees, the scene was almost surreal. It was almost like they were a triad from the old days, leisurely picnicking and making love by a stream on a whim. He stroked his cock, holding onto the feeling of safety and leisure and concentrating on nothing but how wonderful it would feel to have them.
Marcel smeared condom gel on Matthew’s prick, stroking it to cover the entire length. Matthew’s head leaned back so his face was raised to the sky as pleasure crossed his expression as Marcel kept going, clearly teasing him. Andrew bit his bottom lip to keep from groaning at the sight. His insides writhed at the thought of being under both of them.
“How long has it been?” Marcel rumbled, his eyes boring into Andrew as he continued to play with Mathew.
Andrew swallowed. “What?”
“How long has it been since you were fucked?” The words went straight to his prick, and he did groan then, long and low. He squeezed the base of his cock to keep from shooting right then.
“I don’t remember. A long time,” Andrew managed to say. The last guy he’d been dating had only lasted three months. It had taken one race and one jealous spat afterward on account of the goodlooking men on his field team to seal the fate of that relationship. Marcel had given him a hug at the conclusion of the match, and his boyfriend had lost it.
“How long have you wanted it to be me?” Marcel asked, pinching Matthew’s beaded nipples.
“Since you joined my team,” Andrew admitted, owning his attraction for the first time.
“And Matthew?”
“Since we first met.”
“Why is there so much talking?” Matthew asked in a strangled voice. “Andrew, get over here and join us.”
Andrew smiled at the pair of them and rolled to his feet, letting his cock lead the way. He’d never been in bed with two men before, but he imagined that with a little creativity it would all work the way it was supposed to. Matthew reached for him first, and he went willingly. They shared a kiss as Marcel circled behind him and ground his cock along the crack of his ass. Andrew groaned into Matthew’s mouth at the action, which allowed Matthew’s tongue to slip inside and caress his own. The three hundred and sixty degrees of sensation swamped him. He wanted this so badly.
“Anyone know how to do this?” Marcel asked.
“Do you bottom?” Matthew asked.
Marcel ground harder on Andrew’s ass. “For you? Hmm, yeah.”
“Good,” Matthew all but purred. “Then we’ll have a Marcel sandwich until he can take both of us. You deserve Andrew’s pretty ass first. Don’t you agree, Andrew?”
Andrew shuddered. The combination of images made pre-cum seep from his cock tip in a steady stream. “Yes. I want to see you fuck him while he fucks me.”
“Stretch him while I play with his cock, Marcel.” Matthew sealed his mouth over his again, kissing him breathless in an instant. He jumped slightly as Marcel spread his cheeks and circled his entrance with a finger, but he relaxed as Marcel whispered something complimentary in his ear as he pushed his slicked digit forward a bit, fingering him gently. He’d always known Marcel would be a gentle lover.
“I can’t wait to be inside you,” Marcel rumbled. “You’re going to be so damn tight, baby.” He finally worked in the first finger while Matthew jerked his cock. Andrew could do nothing but moan into Matthew’s mouth as they played with his body. His mind was racing with the possibility of what was to come. He was going to get fucked thoroughly, and he was going to enjoy it.
Another finger joined the first, stretching his ass in preparation of taking Marcel’s cock. He broke the kiss he had with Matthew and stared up into his gray eyes. “Get him ready, too,” he whispered. “I want us to go all together.”
Matthew winked. “Whatever you say, sweet stuff.”
“Keep playin’ with your cock, Andy,” Marcel said, adding more lotion and another finger inside him. Andrew felt the stretch, the slow burn, and it was just as good as he thought it would be. He took his dick in hand and played with it just as Matthew had done. Marcel groaned behind him, the sound vibrating through his body. “Christ! Matthew!”
“Hmm, like that?”
“Fuck yes. Damn. S’good.”
They all strained together for endless moments before Matthew pulled them down to the blanket and arranged them for his pleasure. Andrew was commanded to his back with a pack under his hips to elevate them to make it easier to reach him. Marcel knelt between his thighs and pressed the flared head of his thick length at his entrance.
Matthew growled from over Marcel’s shoulder. “That’s it, Marcel. Get inside him so I can get in you.”
“Not gonna last,” Marcel rumbled as he sank the first inch inside Andrew. Andrew’s eyes crossed at the sensation. He was on fire. Every nerve ending on his body was buzzing with need, and his prick was so hard it curved upward toward his abdomen, smearing pre-cum on his stomach. He forced his eyes open, needing to see Marcel’s expression as he fucked him. He pulled back slightly before he pushed back inside, sinking into his heat deeper than before.
“Yes!” Andrew yelped, squirming in want. “More, please, Marcel!”
Sweat dripped down the side of Marcel’s neck. “Shh, don’t say that. Don’t say anything or I’m gonna come, Andy.”
A crack sounded followed by another moan from Marcel. “You won’t come until we do, boy. That’s an order.”
“God, Matthew. Don’t do that!” he said, his hips jerking in an almost frantic motion. Andrew was riding the pleasure as Marcel found his sweet spot unerringly and fucked against it as he raced toward completion.
Matthew chuckled. “Like getting spanked when you get fucked? Does it turn you on?”
“Apparently,” Marcel said in a strangled voice. Andrew laughed. He couldn’t help it. He always thought that laughing in the middle of sex was a bad thing but this was great. His heart felt light and free even as his desire rose higher.
“Is he inside you, Mar?” Andrew asked as the mood switched from funny to serious again. “How does he feel?”
“Yes,” Marcel said. “He’s amazing. Fucks so good.” His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and Andrew clung to his hips as he fucked him harder. Poor Mar wasn’t going to last another minute, which was fine. Andrew was already nearing the peak, his balls tightening impossibly.
“Sexy boys,” Matthew rumbled. “My sexy boys.” The possession in his voice was too early, but it felt right, and it sent a shiver of want through him.
Andrew looked into Marcel’s pleasure-filled face and then over his shoulder at Matthew. This man had brought them together. He was what they’d needed for a long time, the necessary catalyst to bring them together.
“Come with me,” Matthew commanded. Andrew followed the command without question, his release ripped from him as he came all over his abdomen and chest. Marcel groaned, slamming inside him twice more before he, too, found release, Matthew right on his heels.
Andrew sighed as every muscle in his body relaxed in the aftermath of their joining. A slow grin spread over his face. That had been absolutely amazing. He let his eyes slide shut as bliss filled him. His entire body tingled with warmth, and he felt safe. He drifted in his happy place as they regained their ability to speak.

* * * * “Hmm, should’ve thought of clean up. That creek water is going to be cold,” Matthew rumbled as he pulled out of Marcel with a groan. Marcel gritted his teeth to keep from moaning himself. His heart was still thundering and his limbs were shaking from the intensity. It took all his strength not to collapse on top of Andrew.
I can’t believe I had him
. His cheeks heated as Matthew gave his ass a pat.
And I can’t believe Matthew had me
. He was going to feel it as he walked the remainder of the day, too. Matthew had been the perfect combination of rough and gentle as he’d fucked him. The only thing he regretted was that he couldn’t feel Matthew release inside him and fill Andrew in turn.

He pulled out of his lover slowly as Matthew rolled to his feet. Andrew looked like he had passed out already and was smiling softly as his breath fell and rose in deep, even movements. Marcel lay beside him and snuggled close to his side as he waited for Matthew to return. He rested his head on his hand as he stared at Andrew’s relaxed face.
God, he’s so beautiful
. Matthew returned with a wet Tshirt a second later. Marcel’s heart tripped over itself.
And so is he.

“It’s not a washcloth, but it’ll do for a cum rag,” Matthew said. He winked at him. “I’ll wear my spare.” He ran a finger down Marcel’s cheek. “Thanks for including me. That was perfect.”

Marcel swallowed. “You’re welcome.” He glanced over at Andrew and sat up. “Looks like he enjoyed himself, if that expression is any indication.”

Matthew chuckled, cleaning off Marcel’s gel and then his own. “No joke. We’ve killed him.”
“Happily dead,” Andrew rasped, not bothering to open his eyes. Matthew handed him the rag. “Thanks.”
A branch snapped from somewhere behind them, and fear doused Marcel’s insides. Fuck. He rolled, grabbing his discarded gun as he went. There was no time to put on his clothes, so he just leveled his weapon in the direction of the sound. He barely breathed as he waited for another sound to alert him to whatever came at them. Matthew stepped beside him, doing the same, and Andrew knelt on his other side, pistol drawn as well.
A voice sounded, making him jump. “Don’t shoot!” From behind a tree stepped an exhausted-looking guy who was covered in dirt and filthy clothes. It was impossible to tell exactly what color the guy’s hair was originally, but it looked like a light brown from here. He held up his hands in a universal sign of surrender, his eyes trained on the ground. “I’m sorry. I tried to wait as long as I could. They’re headed this way. Markus knows I took the AV north. If you don’t move soon, they’ll be on top of you with no time to run.”
Matthew snorted. “And who the fuck are you, and how the hell do we know you’re human?” Marcel cut a glance sideways at him in surprise only to chastise himself for the internal question. They’d heard Necros talk today. It only made sense to make sure one didn’t infiltrate the camp. As unnerving as it was, the world had suddenly gotten a hell of a lot more dangerous.
The guy shrugged. “The ones that can talk have markers. The eyes for one. All of them turn these weird shades. Brown turns gold. Blue turns sky blue. Green turns turquoise. They’re all some kind of jewel tones.”
“How can we trust what you say is true?” Marcel asked. “What proof do you have?”
The guy growled. “Unless you have a fucking chemistry set on you, I can’t prove shit. However, I didn’t sneak up on you while you guys were boning like horny apes in the middle of an infected zone and try to eat you. Those are some points in my favor.”
Andrew actually laughed a little bit, trying to cover it up with a very bad imitation of a cough. “He has a point.”
Matthew sighed. “Marcel, keep your weapon trained on him while I and Andrew dress. He comes toward us, shoot his ass.”
Marcel nodded, and the man swayed a bit before leaning against a nearby tree. Marcel’s eyes narrowed. “What’s your name?”
“Derek. Derek Potter.”
“What are you doing in the middle of the wilds, Derek?” Making conversation seemed preferable to staring down the barrel of his gun and holding his breath to see if the guy made a move.
“Is that where we are?” Derek asked, looking only mildly surprised. “What sector are we near?”
Marcel gave him an incredulous look. “Did you materialize in here or something?”
“No,” Derek sighed. “I ran in here. Been running for a long time. It’s hard to keep track of where I am. I just move, and they follow. I doubt rabbits at a fox hunt pay much attention to the scenery, either.”
Marcel’s eyes narrowed. “You’re the reason they’re here?”
“Why else?”
“What sector did you start out in?” Marcel asked.
Derek leaned against the tree at his back, rubbing his dirty pants leg where the material was ripped. “Sector seven.”
Surprise flickered through Marcel.
That is almost a hundred miles from here. He must’ve escaped during the meltdown
. “Why would a mob that size be following one man?”
“When the Necro King commands them, they go anywhere he pleases. He’s different from the rest of them. I have a theory as to why, but I can’t say for sure. Every infected he turns is like him to one degree or another. They’re all smarter.” Derek groaned and straightened his leg out. “Damn leg cramps.”
“I’ve got some potassium water tabs in my backpack,” Andrew said, coming to stand beside him. He smiled up at Marcel. “You can go dress now.” Marcel nodded and handed his gun over to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek before grabbing his discarded pants and pulling them up his hips. He reached for his shoes next.
“I would appreciate them and a suture kit, if you have one,” Derek said. “I jumped out of a tree earlier and sliced my thigh on a branch on the way down. Not my most graceful escape but effective nonetheless.”
Matthew knelt beside Marcel as he laced up one boot. “I don’t trust him. His story is ludicrous. No way a mob would follow one man through a territory so devoid of humans. It’s sheer chance the run was held here. The infected don’t stay places so unpopulated.” The whispered words made sense. However, there was so much about this situation that was too atypical to judge.
“You’re applying hard rules to a situation where the guidelines are all blurred. Until today, we’d never heard of a Necro talking, either. Yet we heard two of them talk. I don’t think he’s infected,” Marcel murmured. “He’s tired, too tired to be one of them.”
Matthew shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out soon whether or not he’s on the up and up.” He lifted his head and stared at their new arrival. Louder he said, “If you scratched it on a branch, it needs to be cleaned before you sew it. I’m a medic. I’ll take care of it. We’ll flush it out and then get moving.”
Derek looked relieved. “Okay. Thanks. We’ll need to cross the river. Do you have someone picking you up soon?”
“Yeah,” Marcel answered without thinking. “I guess it’s lucky that we came along. It must’ve been a long time coming for a rescue.”
He visibly paled. “No. No. I can’t. He’ll find me. I can’t be the reason another sector falls.”
Marcel’s eyes widened. “You’re the reason sector seven fell?”
He nodded, looking sick. “I went into the city, thinking I’d be safe from them. But Markus’s mob clashed with a smaller mob outside the city, and it spilled over into the sector. By the time he was able to pull his Necros back, it was too late. The infection spread, and the whole place went to hell. By the time the military showed up, it was just in time for cleanup. I can’t go into the cities. Bad things happen when I do. He can control them for the most part, but they follow him.”
Matthew opened his bag and pulled out a bottle of disinfectant wash and the suture kit. “Why does it follow you?” he asked, straightening so he could walk over to where Derek leaned against his tree. “If he moves, shoot him, Andrew.” He ripped the man’s pants open further, and Derek hissed as he applied the disinfectant to the gash he exposed there.
“I’ve got it,” Marcel said, tugging his shirt the rest of the way on. “Pack the bags, Andy.” There was no way he would make Andrew take a shot if it was necessary. Derek was way too human, and Andrew was just a run kid. He didn’t need that on his conscience.
Derek closed his eyes tightly, speaking through gritted teeth. It looked like it hurt like a son of a bitch. “I have no idea why Markus follows me. He just has been for almost a year now. I was relocating to sector forty-one from sector forty-three for a job. All the new hires were put on buses and transported via the old highway system. As you know, the wilds run all the way through forty-two. Our buses were swamped by Markus’s mob, and he was the one who dragged me off of the bus. Long story short, he didn’t kill me and I took off. He followed. The end. Fuck that hurts.”
“Almost done,” Matthew murmured.
“The UMF will want to hear about this,” Marcel said, knowing there was something more going on than what any of them may have known. “You can tell them when we get our pickup. They’ll protect you.”
“I…” Derek paused, seemingly waffling. “Okay. At least that way I’ll get a rest for a while.” Marcel pitied him in that moment. Being on the run from the infected had obviously taken its toll. The guy seriously didn’t believe that an entire army could protect him from the smart-as-hell Necro and his mob. The hopelessness the guy must’ve been feeling was intense.
As if on cue, Matthew’s com vibrated to alert of an incoming communication. Matthew clipped the thread, and it roped back and forth, filling in the area between the stitches with a weblike material that would repel water and keep the wound together in the meantime. Over the next week, they would dissolve and accelerate the skin’s healing process.
“So what are you guys’ names?” Derek asked as Matthew walked off a few paces and answered the communication. His voice was soft in the background, clearly not wanting Derek to hear the location of their pickup.
“I’m Andrew Ainsley,” Andrew said, hoisting his backpack up on his shoulder and extending his hand in a shake.
Derek took it and smiled. “Nice to meet you. It’s weird. I haven’t talked to a human in a really long time. It’s so weird.” He frowned suddenly, looking perplexed. “Are you the runner Andrew Ainsley?”
Andrew nodded. “Yeah.”
Derek’s eyes widened. “Oh, wow! That’s cool. I used to follow your runs before all this. It’s really great to meet you.”
Marcel’s chest swelled with pride. He’d always been proud of Andrew’s accomplishments. The man didn’t take near enough credit for himself, and he had no ego to speak of despite being one of the most popular and highest paid athletes in New America. He’d told him once that running wasn’t his job, it was what he was. He was a runner. It only made sense that he did it for a living. He really didn’t think his talent was all that great. It just was. The attitude had baffled Marcel for years.
He glanced over a Matthew. He supposed Matthew was the same way. He was a field agent because that was what he was. He didn’t see his accomplishments as anything special, either. It was mindboggling. Out of the three of them, Marcel was the only one who didn’t feel like he was born to any certain thing. Well, he amended.
Maybe I feel born to take care of Andrew and Matthew to a certain degree
. It startled him that his feeling of responsibility now extended to Matthew as well. Just as with Andrew, the connection had formed quickly. Andrew had been right. Their relationship already felt more intense than it should’ve, given the length of time and the situation at hand.
Derek’s attention turned to Marcel. “And are you one of his handlers?”
Marcel shrugged. “I’m on his run team, yes. Marcel Carter.” They shook.
“Nice to meet you,” Derek said. He pushed off the tree and shifted from foot to foot. “We need to get moving. They’re really close now.”
“How do you know?” Andrew asked. “I don’t hear anything.”
Derek shrugged. “The forest. All the insects have gotten quiet. They don’t want to attract their attention any more than we do.”
“We’ll head east,” Matthew said, rejoining them. “I’ve got the coordinates for our air pickup.”
Relief filled him.
Thank God
. He wanted nothing more than to get home, and he didn’t mean his apartment. He wanted to be safe and relaxed enough to enjoy the two men that fate had seen fit to dump in his lap. He grabbed his pack off the ground and turned to follow wherever Matthew led them.
“Do you need pain meds for the leg?” Andrew asked as Derek walked after Matthew, a slight limp in his step. Andrew always did have a big heart.
“I can’t take any. My body doesn’t possess the enzymes to break down most pain relievers. I O.D. every time and end up acting like a drunk lunatic if I’m lucky, or worse, they make me catatonic. Either option isn’t very good.” Derek cracked his knuckles, the gesture a nervous one. “No worries. I won’t slow you down. I’ll be just fine.”
What a weird guy
.
“Let’s move, people. We’ve got a dozen or more heat signatures coming from the south, and I don’t reckon they’re friendly,” Matthew barked, increasing his pace. Marcel clutched his weapon in hand, keeping his eyes trained on the surrounding forest. He’d used surprisingly few bullets this trip. He hoped it stayed that way.