"So... Birdeyes, huh?" Ruby chuckled, a teasing gleam in her green eyes. "That's a sexy name for a sexy woman."
"So tell me, Ruby..." Birdeyes cocked her head, nodding toward the bow slung across Ruby's back. "How good of a shot are you?"
"Untie me and I'll show you."
"Say I untie you—how would I know I can trust you?" Birdeyes asked, her tone cool but her eyes burning with curiosity.
"You can't," Ruby said, smirking. "You just have to take a risk."
Silence stretched between them, thick with tension and something unspoken. Birdeyes stood still, her body stiff with caution, but her mind was spinning.
Ruby tilted her head, watching, waiting.
As the sunlight filtered through broken beams above, Birdeyes took her first real look at the woman in front of her. That electric-blue pixie cut, the lean lines of her face, the tattoos that kissed her collarbones and teased under her sleeves, everything about Ruby screamed danger, rebellion... and sex. She had that messy, maddening kind of beauty that lingered in your mind long after she left the room.
Birdeyes gulped, trying to swallow down the image that popped into her head—of grabbing that silky hair, guiding Ruby's mouth between her thighs, and forgetting the apocalypse even existed.
Damn the sun. Damn this heat. She cleared her throat, blaming the sweat trickling down her back for the fire building in her core. With slow, measured movements, Birdeyes secured her rifle on her back and stepped behind Ruby.
Ruby tensed as soon as she felt her presence, her breath catching.
Birdeyes leaned in, her hand gripping Ruby's hair tight, yanking her head back so her lips brushed her ear. She pressed the cool blade of a small knife to her throat and murmured, "If you try anything funny—I'll slit your throat and throw you to the zombies."
Then she shoved her away.
"That's the sexiest fucking thing anyone's ever said to me," Ruby said breathlessly, stepping up to her again. "Color me intrigued."
She winked, and Birdeyes stumbled back, almost tripping over a rusted pipeline. Ruby moved fast, grabbing her wrist and pulling her in until their chests touched.
"It's only been five minutes, and you're already falling for me."
Birdeyes's pulse spiked. Her breath hitched. She had never ever felt like this before. Not for a woman. Not even for a man.
But Ruby was a storm she couldn't stop. Her scent was sweet, like strawberries mixed with smoke and it was making her dizzy. Ruby's green eyes practically dared her to fall, to lose control. And for once, Birdeyes didn't want to fight it.
Without another word, she grabbed Ruby by the waist and kissed her.
Ruby met her lips instantly, pressing in with a hunger that was wild and delicious. Her hands tangled in Birdeyes's hair, lips moving with a perfect mix of roughness and passion. She tasted like adrenaline and rebellion.
The kiss deepened as their mouths molded together, breaths shallow and desperate. Ruby's hands slid down to Birdeyes's hips, gripping tightly, like she already knew every inch of her. Birdeyes groaned into her mouth, feeling her body light up with heat she hadn't felt in years.
When the kiss broke, they were both gasping.
Birdeyes stepped back, flushed and trembling. She didn't speak. She just reached down and unbuttoned her pants, letting them slide to her ankles, exposing a soft, slightly hairy mound.
Ruby's eyes widened slightly.
"What are you doing?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"You said take a risk." Birdeyes's voice was barely above a whisper. "This is me... taking it."
Ruby grinned and stepped forward, grabbing Birdeyes by the waist. She bit her bottom lip as she kissed her again, harder this time, more urgent.
Clothes fell away like they didn't matter. Ruby peeled off her shirt and kicked aside her boots. She stripped down to her soaked boxers and looked Birdeyes in the eyes.
"Are you ready for this tongue, baby?"
Birdeyes didn't respond. She didn't have to.
On the roof of the ruined Milford Hotel, they crashed together like fire and gasoline. The sun dipped low, casting everything in gold, but neither woman noticed.
Their bodies tangled beneath the open sky. Kisses turned to gasps. Tongues flicked and explored. Fingers slid through sweat-slicked skin and found pleasure points like they were made for each other. Clits got flicked, pussies got licked. Ruby took her time until Birdeyes couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't do anything but cry out her name.
They made love like there was no tomorrow. Because maybe... there wasn't.
The wind was cooler when they started getting dressed again. Birdeyes zipped up her pants and laced her boots while Ruby pulled on her shirt and looked at her with a curious smile.
"Are you gonna tell me your name? I mean, your real name?" she asked.
"Shauna Birde," Birdeyes answered as she tightened her boot straps.
"Oh, so that's where Birdeyes comes from."
"Yeah," she said with a soft laugh. "It's a nickname I earned for being an excellent sniper. They say I have the precise eyes of a hawk—hawk's a bird, so Birdeyes. And it helps that my last name is Birde."
Ruby nodded, eyes thoughtful.
They dressed in silence after that, both unsure how to break the strange intimacy lingering in the air.
"Look—" they both said at once.
Shauna smiled. "You go first."
"This was nice and all," Ruby said slowly, "but I kinda see a bit of regret on your face. And I get it. But I want you to know... things don't have to be weird between us."
Shauna shook her head. "No. I don't regret it at all. I just... wish we could do this again. But the world's a mess. There's no time for luxuries like this anymore."
Ruby exhaled and nodded. "Oh. Well... just so you know, even if the world wasn't crawling with the undead, I still wouldn't be open to dating seriously. My heart already belongs to someone else."
Shauna's heart stung, but she didn't let it show. "I see."
Suddenly, the radio on Shauna's belt crackled to life.
"Birdeyes, do you copy? Silent Hawk here."
She grabbed it. "I copy, Silent Hawk. Over."
"Bring the stray down and keep a very keen eye on her. These two up here are hostile. Over."
Shauna froze for a moment.
"Roger that, Silent Hawk. Over and out."
"Hey—what was that about?" Ruby demanded. "My friends aren't hostile."
Shauna stood and picked up her rope again. "Ruby... put your hands behind your back."
Ruby stared at her. "We're back to this? After the fun we just had?"
"I said I'd take one chance. Not two. Now put your hands behind your back."
"Unbelievable," Ruby muttered as she turned around. "You know, this would be way more fun if we were naked."
Shauna snorted and shook her head as she tied Ruby's hands again. "My superior would think I've gone soft if I brought you in like a lover."
"I get it," Ruby said. "But just so you know, you're gonna be thinking about this tongue for a long time."
Shauna tried not to smile but failed. "Okay, silver tongue. Let's go."
Ruby leaned toward her, teasing. "So you did enjoy it."
"I didn't mean it like— You know what, shut up before I throw you down the steps."
"Okay," Ruby laughed. "Birdeyes?"
"What now?"
"It was a pleasure meeting you."
Shauna glanced at her, something unreadable in her eyes. "The pleasure was all mine."