Caelan sat with Dusty’s response for longer than he cared to admit.<b>If I was counting on being alone.. </b>That had to mean that Dusty had planned this. Dusty had picked a gun out for him. He had filled a cooler with beer. He had cooked fish, probably yesterday, maybe this morning, and wrapped it so it would keep. He had driven his ratty old beater truck out to that decrepit brick building..<br/><br/>He swallowed the lump in his throat, shoulders softening as he listened to Dusty. The man admitted to living alone and how it had always been that way. Maybe he was seeking companionship, Caelan wondered, as they all were. The apocalypse had brought out the best in some folk and the absolute worst in others. It forced even the most social of individuals to sit alone with themselves for years. He understood Dusty’s desire to kindle the friendship between them, or whatever this was.<br/><br/>“Three weeks.” Caelan nodded, running his hands over his thighs. It was an anxious response. His stomach had felt unsettled in the days following their initial encounter. He had felt sick watching Dusty’s tail lights pull away, not knowing if he would ever see them again. His one chance at friendship had slipped away as easily as a ribbon sliding from between his fingers. “Fishing 101.” He grinned.<br/><br/>He sat there still, sipping absently at his beer while he marinated in his thoughts. His brain confused him, making him feel things, like an unexplained feeling of sorrow in the pit of his stomach. Dusty wasn't anybody to him... but could he be?<br/><br/>The tailgate creaked as Dusty moved. Caelan blinked, watching as the man eased closer. Brushing it off as his need to get more comfortable on the metal tailgate, he thought nothing of it. He did, however, continue to watch as the man boxed him against the wall of the truck, leaning until his lips covered Caelan’s. He froze almost instantaneously, caught off guard by Dusty’s proximity to him.<br/><br/>His response came soon after, one hand lifting to cup the back of his head, encouraging the kiss. His fingers sifted through his short hair, the locks soft against his skin. Dusty’s facial hair tickled his nose, but Caelan enjoyed the sensation.