It had been a long ride. Three days, they had been astride their ATV, rolling northeast. Nolan didn't know how soon they would get to where they were going, or even what they'd find on their way. Here in the ruins of the former United States, that was the reality of travel.
But Nolan would never complain; he wasn't facing it alone. Behind him on the ATV, with arms wrapped firmly around Nolan's waist, was his boyfriend Rory.
Like Nolan, Rory had once been alone and on the run, turned out of his home by a war party from who-knew-where. But unlike Nolan, whose black hair was cut short, and who wore a simple, practical, long-sleeved outfit, Rory dressed like a prince. From his luxurious, flowing shoulder-length blue hair, open vest, tight jean shorts and winning smile, he could charm half the world. With a silver tongue to match, he had talked them out of more than a few scrapes. Sure, he had some grease on his skin, his hair was knotted here and there, and the blue hair dye was starting to fade away, but in Nolan's mind, Rory was the same stately, beautiful boy who had crossed the Colorado River with him.
For his part, Nolan was the engineer of the team. Before he was turned out of his home, his father had taught him everything that was still known about mechanics and electronics, and now Nolan knew them as an art. With nothing but a meager toolbox and his father's teachings, he had kept this electric ATV humming for months. At this rate, they'd reach the Great Lakes within just a week, and if the rumors were true, they'd be welcomed with open arms.
All night, they had ridden, and now the sun dawned in front of them. Rory giggled- he seemed to find amusement in everything- and shaded his eyes, while Nolan fished his cowboy hat from his saddlebags and put it on.
"What do you say?" asked Nolan, raising his voice over the scrape of tires on gravel. "A few more hours, then we stop?"
Rory's thin eyebrows shot up. "Only a few more? Oh, you're just too good to me."
Nolan smiled, remembering what was coming; he had promised Rory some pleasure as soon as they stopped, and as always, Rory was looking forward to it even more than he was.
As the hours passed, the two boys watched the scenery go by. Prairies stretched off into the distance, with tree-lined rivers slicing through the dryness. Here and there, old farmhouses or leveled-out plots of Earth marked where people had once lived, but the water crisis had ruined farms in these high-altitude regions. Now the only people here were hunters, gatherers, travelers and bandits. This was a place for passing through, not for living.
"Are we stopping now?" asked Rory, as they passed by the shade of an invitingly huge maple tree.
"Not just yet," said Nolan.
An hour passed. "Now?" he asked, as they passed a cave dug into the side of a hill.
"Almost," said Nolan.
Finally, they reached an old highway bridge that crossed over a stream, and Nolan stopped and said, "Alright. Now we're stopping."
Since the ATV was solar-powered, the boys had to be nocturnal, driving by night and sleeping while the solar collector charged by day. Rory dismounted first, and Nolan followed him, letting his legs stretch out for the first time in a quarter of a day. Once his bones were back in place, he knelt by the ATV and grunted as he unstrapped the three sets of saddlebags they had piled onto the vehicle. Beside him, Rory sat neatly on an old tree stump, watching with wistful eyes. In minutes, the solar collector was charging in the heavy sunlight. The boys took a few minutes to fill their stomachs with bread and dried fruit, then they headed down to the stream.
At the edge of the stream, Rory looked both ways as if he was shy- Nolan knew better- then gently pulled himself out of his vest, revealing his thin, straight back and flat stomach. Folding it neatly, he deposited it on the bank. With a thoughtless flick of his fingers, he undid his belt, opened his jean shorts and slid them gently down his smooth, muscular hips, exposing the Mars symbol tattooed on his right flank. Balancing easily on one foot, Rory picked his shoelaces apart and discarded his left tennis shoe, then did the same for his right. Completely nude, he dipped a toe into the water, winced at the cold, then leapt in.
When his smiling face reappeared on the surface, he barely seemed to notice that he was shivering. "Well?" he said. "It's your turn!"
Nolan followed suit, unclasping the twin utility belts that crisscrossed his chest. All of his tools could have easily fit on only one belt, but Nolan liked the way the two of them looked. 'I can be vain too,' he thought. Wasting no time, he peeled off his sweaty long-sleeved shirt, cargo pants and running shoes. Before he could hesitate, he took a running start and skipped into the river, sinking into the chilled, heavy water. When his feet felt rock, he pushed back up to the surface.
As soon as he adjusted to the temperature, he moaned with comfort, feeling the sweat and grime wash off of his skin. Ahead of him, Rory brushed his matted hair away from his face, shot Nolan a wink, then turned over on his back and swam hurriedly away.
Nolan knew a challenge for a race when he saw one. After taking a moment to note where the ATV was, he darted off after Rory, forging through the water, dodging around rocks, watching as he slowly closed the distance on Rory. Within a minute, his fingertips touched Rory's smooth souls.
Pulling his legs in, Rory shot upright, panting though a curtain of wet hair. "Almost... almost... got away that time," he said, as he always did.
Nolan smirked.
Rory's face gleamed with anticipation.
"Feel clean yet?" asked Nolan, taking the prompt.
"Yes!" said Rory. "Yes, I'm ready."
"Then get out and find some place to sit."
Quickly, Rory climbed out of the river. Underneath the bridge by the ATV, he found a grassy patch in the dirt and sat down. Nolan followed, not hurrying. Rory sat back in the grass, supporting himself with arms behind his back, giving a clear view of his smooth chest. From the chin down, his whole body was cleanly shaven.
When Nolan arrived, he began slowly. He circled around Rory like a wolf sizing up its prey. He knelt in front of Rory, who was still a half-foot shorter, then grabbed the other boy's chin and tilted his head up into a kiss.
Nolan could feel Rory's excitement through his tongue.
Now Nolan set his hands on Rory's shoulders, feeling them jump under his touch. Keeping steady eye contact with Rory, Nolan's hands crept down Rory's body, from his thin shoulders down his tight chest. Nolan's hands kept going down Rory's stomach, which was trembling with tension, then out to the sides, where they traced his flanks.
Rory bit his lip. "Ooh," he breathed. "You're such... such a tease..."
Nolan smiled. "Now close your eyes," he ordered.
