Hunting Bugs

"Shit!" the feminine voice grumbled again, but this time Daniel caught a glimpse of a small figure partially hidden in shadow; it was only a moment, and he was unable to make out any details beyond long very white hair.

He had been carefully picking his way through the shattered remains of what had been part of the invasion fleet along the coast of Bolinao. Just past the shattered ruins of a shoreline resort, he discovered the alien wreckage of what had been one of the battle cruisers, its massive black hull half buried in the creamy white sands. A scattering of the large carapaces of its crew were still bleaching in the tropical sun, despite the year that had passed since the alien force had shown up in the skies over most of the planet. All had been nearly lost in the initial attacks, but a joint fleet of American and Chinese drones had overwhelmed their defenses, and brought down the behemoth menacing the Asian pacific. He had been on one of US destroyers at the time, just off the coast of Manila bay. Even from that distance he had been able to see the high altitude explosions that tore through the ship, tearing it apart like tissue paper, and sending it plummeting in a massive fireball into the coastal waters. This was the first he had seen of the destruction close up, and a majority of the ship had vanished beneath the waters, leaving only a hint of its enormous structure visible. The section near him had large gaping holes torn in the sides, and a nearly kilometer long debris field spread across the shoreline, leaving jagged pieces of twisted metal strewn across its surface, like shards of glass embedded in the sand.

The brutal invasion had been halted, but with a devastating cost to much of the planet; little remained of most of the major cities, and the death toll had been in the billions. With his ship spent of all its offensive weapons and heavily damaged, it limped slowly into Subic, the city all but leveled, without a soul to notice their return. With most of the worldwide fleets gone, and little if any ground forces left, their ship was forgotten and alone. The crew had voted in favor of attempting a voyage home, but the commander made it clear that they were no longer under any obligation to remain on the ship, and he honorably discharged the rank and file, stating it had been an honor to serve with them. Though most opted to remain, Daniel and a few others chose to disembark and go their separate ways. He had nothing left to return to; his home state had been obliterated in the first strikes, along with all his family and friends.

With no particular destination in mind, Daniel headed east to the coastal town of Orani, where he was able to see what had once been the skyline of Manila. There was not a single of the taller structures left standing, and most of what did remain was a smoldering ruin, with scattered fires still raging across the metro. He turned away from the horror and began his trek north along the eastern edge of the Zambales mountains. He met up with few people during that time, and most of those had been fearful and less than friendly with a stranger among them. Though they were willing to share their limited supplies, he never felt completely comfortable, and continued his journey, never giving up hope of meeting someone he could connect with. Despite his hopeful thoughts, he still knew he needed to approach the stranger with caution.

Climbing one of the larger sections of the alien ship, he spotted the girl again, but her age was still indiscriminate at that distance. She was standing at the edge of one of the hull pieces jutting into the surf, staring into the gentle rolling waves only half a meter below her. A scattering of bottles were at her feet, and she seemed to be carefully deciding before bending to pick one up. Turning it in her hand, she quickly raised her arm and hurled into the water below her. There was a distinct and sharp clink of shattering glass.

"Gotcha... you little bastard!" she swore in perfect, barely accented English, and did what appeared to be an awkward dance along the edge of her perch. For a moment he thought she was going to tumble headlong into the water, but she suddenly spun around and teetered unsteadily, before dropping heavily to the metal plating. "Ohhh, that's gonna hurt." An almost maniacal laughter burst out of her, before she leaned back and disappeared into one of the deep channels along the hull. Only the sounds left were the sloshing of the waves and an occasional cry of a gull.

Daniel stepped cautiously closer. "Hello!" he shouted toward the hidden figure, hoping she would hear him approach; he didn't want to startle her. "You okay down there?"

There was no intelligible response to his inquiry, but he was sure he heard a soft moan coming just to his left. He leapt across a few of the narrow gaps that still separated them, until he stepped around a high section of the ship and found her laying face down in a shaded area beneath an overhang of twisted metal; she was sprawled across the metal, her head laying across one of her arms. He was unable to see more than a glimpse of her face beneath the mass of pure white hair, revealing that she had very dark eyebrows. A large gray backpack was laying on its side half a meter away, with bags of unopened chips and packs of cookies sprawled out. There was a line of varied bottles of liquor, some standing unopened, but most laying empty and scattered between her and the pack.

She appeared as if she had fallen fast asleep, and he was left undecided as to how to proceed. He cautiously made his way closer, hoping she noticed his approach, but not want to startle her. His foot accidentally stepped on a half eaten bag of chips, and the girl bolted upright instantly, stumbling in military grade boots, which looked overly large and cumbersome on her extremely petite form. A mostly empty beer bottle was gripped tightly in her small hand like a weapon. She released it with a surprising speed and accuracy, and flung it fiercely at his head. He dodged aside, just barely managing to avoid the projectile as it sailed by his cheek, spraying him with the remaining content.

"What the--are you trying to kill me?" he uttered loudly; there was a loud clink of glass shattering against the metal deck some distance behind him.

The girl teetered unsteadily to her feet, staggering as she tried to maintain her balance with one hand tightly gripping a metal edge. Finally managing to hold herself in an upright position, she glared angrily at him through narrowed eyes. "Depends--friend or foe?" she questioned in a barely intelligible slur, and then burst into an uncontrolled giggle. She mistakenly pulled her hand away from her support, and instantly slipped on the beer soaked metal and dropped hard to her knees, nearly striking her head when she fell forward. "Whoa! Stop the spinning." She lurched forward and puked in an opening in the deck, then rolled over onto her back before settling heavily against the metal.

Daniel held back with his arms raised to his head in defense, unsure if she was going to throw anything at him again. His heart thumped hard in his chest for some moments before he realized she wasn't moving. This time he approached her even more carefully, though there was more concern for her welfare this time; he wasn't sure if she was even breathing. Those anxious thoughts quickly turned to surprise when he noticed her bare breasts rising and falling with her soft breathing. Most people would have considered them very modest, but the gentle and shallow profile was a characteristic he had always found attractive; one protruding nipple was partially covered by a thin black neckerchief, the only item of clothing adorning her chest. Even the short leather skirt she wore seemed somewhat out of place considering the hot climate; it had twisted around her waist and was partially flipped up, revealing her smoothly shaven pubic mound and prominent dark folds. He was far from being a prude, but he quickly averted his eyes, more out of respect for the girl than any embarrassment on his part.

She muttered in her sleep, and shifted positions abruptly, allowing him to see her profile more clearly; the abruptness of their encounter had left him no time to even notice the details of her facial features, but now he could at least gauge her age at about twenty or so years. Her pure white hair was definitely bleached, and in sharp contract to the warm golden brown of her skin, and her even darker eyebrows and eyelashes. Though he was unable to see her eyes, her features were on the more delicate side, giving her a hint of some distant Caucasian ancestry. By her dress and appearance, she seemed anything but conventional, but he would have to wait to learn anything more. She appeared to have passed out and was in no shape for a conversation.

Daniel stared down at her curled sleeping form, and sighed audibly, unsure exactly what he should do. He had no intention on just leaving her alone and unprotected, especially in the state she appeared to be in, though he had the distinct impression she was more than capable of defending herself if the need arose. Looking around, he found an area only a few meters away, also shaded, but far enough away in case she were to wake suddenly; he didn't want a repeat of the first time. Slipping off his pack, he sat down and waited. It was only a few minutes before she began to snore loudly, and he realized it might be some time before she woke. He leaned against the warm metal to wait.

It had been more than two hours, and he had begun to grow concerned when she finally stirred and rolled to her side, her long hair splaying across the side of her face. Slowly she opened what turned out to be very large, and very dark eyes, which blinked repeatedly to clear the fog. When she noticed him sitting nearby, she jerked upright, clearly regretting the move almost instantly. Gripping the sides of her head, she squeezed tightly at her temples and grimaced. "Ohhh... stop that incessant hammering," she moaned, burying her face in her cupped hands. He remained quiet, and it was a few moments before she dropped her hands again and looked back over at him, her vision slightly clearer.

It was the first chance Daniel had of fully seeing her face when she was awake. Despite her large reddened eyes and a fuzzy drunkenness dulling her complexion, she was extremely pretty. There was no attempt to hide her openly displayed breasts, and she was either unaware or didn't care that he inadvertently kept glancing at them; he tried not, but her pert nipples seemed intent on distracting him. "Feeling better?" he asked, and she rubbed her eyes vigorously, still finding difficult in focusing on him.

Her first words were mostly incoherent, and she appeared to gather her thoughts before even attempting to speak again. "Slightly," she finally answered, wincing when she tried to turn her head. "Never mix whiskey and rum... unless you enjoy the feel of a machete splitting your skull in half."

Her graphic description would have been quite the deterrent for heavy drinking. "I'll make a note of that," Daniel said, her comment effectively drawing a smile out of him, despite the negative context. Her beauty was undeniable, but there was something else about her whole presence that attracted him. He had known other beautiful girls, but he had always been drawn to the more fiery, less conventional type who didn't give a fuck what anyone thought. From appearances, there was no doubt she fit the bill in that category, like a proverbial glove.

She hadn't missed the smile pass his lips, and her eyes carefully studied his. "What're you smiling about?" she asked in a somewhat testy tone, but again winced at the stab of pain in her head; an assortment of tiny little knives seemed to be jabbing at her skull, and poking every nerve they could find.

Daniel pulled back on his smile, and tried to appear more serious. "Nothing," he said, and reached into his pack to pull out a canteen. "Do you need a drink... water."

She scrunched up her somewhat pert nose at the thought of water, but she had run out of gin and figured it might be best to dilute that a bit. "I have my own," she answered, and reached into her back to pull out a thermos. She took a long sip, nearly gagging at the horrid combination of flavors, and then took another long draught to try and wash it away.

"I have skyflakes if you'd like," he offered, pulling one of the individual packs of crackers out of his backpack pocket. "Might help settle your stomach, and fix that taste."

She frowned again, scrunching up her face in the process, but nodded with a reluctance born of an empty queasy stomach. He handed her one of the small packs and she tore it open, proceeded to nibble away at the edges. Her mouth tasted like metal, and felt more dry than the cracker. Every few bites she took a sip of water, and managed to adjust herself into a more comfortable position against the metal plating to continue nibbling.

"My name's Daniel..." he offered, and waited for her response.

She slid out another cracker and slowly chewed, studying him carefully out of the top corner of her eyes. "Poppy," she finally answered, crumpling up the wrapper and shoving it in her pack.

Wasn't even remotely what he expected. "Poppy... like the seed?"

Her eyebrows furrowed with an irritated anticipation. "Yes.... do you have a problem with my name?"

The slight hostility behind the question was clear. "No... no. It's just--different," he said, and it somehow fit her.

"Good answer," she stated, flicking the last sliver of cracker at him; it struck his cheek and bounced off. She giggled.

Daniel flinched at the edible missile. "What was that for?" he questioned, rubbing gingerly at his cheek.

Poppy shrugged. "It amused me," she answered, and noticed his gaze slowly drifting to her bare chest.

She snorted in amusement. "You like them?" she questioned, running her fingers over her bare nipple and gently tweaking it, all the while staring at him with an intensity that made him squirm uncomfortably; her nipple stiffened noticeably at her touch, and she smiled with a flirtatious wink.

"Whoa... what are you doing?" Daniel blurted out, and risked her wrath in his attempt to snatch her hand away.

She struck a stinging blow on his fingers, and then burst out laughing at the bewildered look on his face. "That wasn't an invitation," she stated emphatically, adjusting her skirt with feigned modesty.

"I wasn't even--"

Poppy pressed her slim index finger against his lips before he could even finish his thought. "Shhh... never interrupt a lady," she admonished, and flashed him a knowing grin. "I need another nap... and don't fucking try anything. I'm a very light sleeper, and I have a nasty bite." She hissed and giggled at his horrified expression; Daniel was at a loss for words, and could only mumble incoherently in agreement.

* * *

Daniel woke with a start, realizing he had dozed off, and found Poppy staring intently at him, her eyes penetrating and deep. There was a slightly mischievous grin forming at the corners of her lips. It took him a moment to realize that there was a line of standing bottles outlining his body, giving him the disturbing impression of a chalk mark line used to indicate where a dead body had lain. He sat up and knocked a few over in the process, and they rolled slowly away, clinking over the textured surface until they finally stopped.

"You're a heavy sleeper," Poppy commented, indicating the bottles she had carefully placed around him; she gave him a curious smile. "Want a beer?" she asked, proceeding to reach across the distance between them with one gripped in her hand. He shook his head in the negative, and she proceeded to chug down the contents.

"Just as well... it's the last."

Her drinking was a potential concern to him, but he figured it was probably best not to question a still inebriated stranger; as usual, he went against his own advice. "What's with the drinking?" he found himself asking, and braced for the response.

Her response was the not anger filled rant he was bracing for. "Good question... brave question," Poppy added with a slight smile, not showing the slightest bit of resentment at his curiosity. "My personal pity party. Once a month I go on a twelve hour drinking binge... try to forget the billions of corpses turning to dust around the world."

She had a disturbing way with graphic descriptions, but it was difficult to find any fault in her answer. "Fair enough," he said, and left it at that. "Feeling better now?"

Poppy appeared to think about it for a moment. "Well, the hammering seems to have stopped... hopefully they're not just on break," she said, and threw him a pleasant but fleeting smile. "So, what brings you to this part of the world?"

"I was going to ask you the same... your English is perfect."

She beamed momentarily. "Thank daddy and his private schools... traveled to the US a lot too... had a house in Lake Tahoe," she added, rummaging through her pack, and handing him a small glass framed picture she had carefully wrapped in discarded bubble wrap. "Class of 2060. Can you pick me out?"

Daniel turned his attention to the picture, and quickly scanned what was a group picture of her high school graduating class. It wasn't difficult to pick her out, considering she was the most attractive of the group. Her looks had barely changed since then, though her hair had been a nearly black dark brown like most of her classmates back then. He turned the picture back toward her and tapped his finger over her face. "Here... and the white hair suits you," he added, glancing back and forth between the picture and Poppy. "How do you manage to keep it that way?"

Her suppressed smile couldn't hide the pleasure she felt at the compliment, and she felt slightly embarrassed. "Got a stockpile of supplies from Watsons... an eighteenth birthday present to myself," Poppy added, taking the picture back, wiping it carefully, and storing it back in a resealable bag. "And no, I never bleach down there. Burns like hell, so I prefer to shave... wanna see?" She burst out laughing at his startled expression.

It took Daniel a moment to even manage a response. "Seriously... you tried to kill me with a bottle earlier."

Poppy shrugged, and wiped away a line of sweat slowly sliding down one breast. "You startled me... what do you expect from a drunk woman--gonna hold a grudge?"

It was difficult to refrain from following the track of her fingers across her nipple; he knew she was doing it on purpose, and that made it all the more difficult to ignore. "Well, no... but--that's not the point. We just met." Even the tone of his voice began to wither under his protest, and the words had little impact when they managed to get out.

Poppy smiled knowingly. "Ahh, I get it now. The you're the more traditional type--I can work with that," came her amused reply, and she laughed as she grabbed for her pack. "So, what's the plan?"

Since he had left the ship, Daniel had basically wandered aimlessly, never having any specific goal in mind. This was the first time he was confronted with having a plan, and he drew a blank. "Plan?"

Poppy arched her eyebrows at him. "Hmm, okay... we'll circle back to that. How about some role-playing... are you into that?" she asked, and he appeared even more confused. "I see I'm going to have to take lead here. Let's see... I'll play the drunken damsel in distress. I need rescuing... bodily protection of course, and you, my dense companion, can be my knight in shining armor. You supply both... obviously. And don't forget the romantic interlude--I've nearly worn these fingers to the bone," she added, wiggling them in the air in emphasis, and laughed at his open mouthed expression.

She carefully struggled to her feet; the world still had a slight wobble to it, but she was able to maintain her balance without falling over. Daniel was reminded of a toddler trying to walk for the first time, but he appreciated the delay. He hadn't found the words to express his thoughts... confused as they were, so he stood in mute silence. When she finally regained her feet, she unexpectedly reached for his hand and intertwined her tiny thin fingers in his. She was satisfied when he grasped them obediently, and then followed her down off the ship. "I have a little hideaway not far from here. It's already late, so keep that stick in your pants.... unless you sleep in the nude. I'll be as good as new in the morning."

He would have commented on her forwardness, but his thoughts had become a conflicting mishmash. Feeling like an obedient lap dog, he silently let her lead him through the wet sand along the beach edge, carefully avoiding any of the larger debris fields as they headed toward the northern corner of Bolinao. They had only been traveling for a few minutes when he discovered that she was far more chatty than he had anticipated, and much more pleasantly inclined than he had originally thought. Their rapid conversation went the gambit from personal observations to the favorite foods they could no longer get. During that brief time, he learned that she had been studying nursing, and that her family had been killed during the initial hours of the invasion. She had survived the destruction of her school, having been underneath her boyfriend when it had been obliterated. He hadn't been so fortunate, and she had spent hours picking pieces of him out of her hair. She still had nightmares about it, but they had become less frequent. He no longer questioned her periodic drinking.

Though they only traveled a few kilometers, most of what they passed was still a debris field, and the beach resembled more of an exploded open market, than a sandy paradise where thousands had gathered before. Poppy clearly knew where she was going, and after less than an hour they reached the north west corner of the peninsula. The sun was settling on the distant ocean horizon by then, and the sky was filled with a deep reddish orange glow. From what he could see, most of the resort they entered had avoided any direct strikes and still remained mostly intact, though the outdoor pool, long left neglected, had turned into a swamp filled with frogs and turtles, and an abundance of insects.

Walking along the overgrown stone walkways, Poppy led him to a small yellow bungalow, past the main office and situated at the extreme northern part of the resort. It was the closest one to the beach, and had somehow survived with minimal damage. The view of the beach in that area was still unobstructed except for a car with the back end sticking straight up, and the front of vehicle buried in the sand. If not for that, they could have imagined the world was still as it had been before the war, at least for a brief time.

"Welcome to the Poppy Palace," she said with an exaggerated enthusiasm, gesturing with a sweep of her arm toward the fading exterior of the small concrete building. "I'm afraid management hasn't managed to keep up with the repairs lately, but it's still quite nice inside, if you don't mind lizards, and the occasional snake... I had a pet python when I was younger. I set it free after the war. I imagine it's quite large now... I released it in a chicken farm."

After everything he had learned about her, Daniel wasn't surprised by her choice of pet, though he had always had a preference for cats. "Nice accommodations," he said, following her into the bungalow. Except for some spiderwebs, dust, and a few areas of peeling paint, the building had held together quite well for the last two years. It appeared far more comfortable than he had expected.

"Well, a princess does need a palace," she said, smiling with satisfaction. "Unfortunately it didn't come with a domestic staff. Don't really need a maid, but I could use a chef. I can't cook... can you?"

Daniel smiled at the question. "As a matter of fact... show me the kitchen," he said, and she smiled even more brightly as she scratched reflexively at one nipple. He had begun to get used to seeing her bare breasts, but it didn't stop him from getting the urge to nibble at her invitingly pert nipples.

"Ohhh, a chef. Better than a prince," she said happily, leading him over to her stacks of supplies.

Though he was no trained expert, he had spent quite a bit of time in a kitchen, much of his skills learned from his mother. With what she had on hand, he was able to whip up a decent meal despite the limited supplies of fresh vegetables. By the time the room had begun to darken, they were sitting down at a brightly lit table, courteous of Poppy's extensive collection of candles.

Poppy took a bite of his vegetable curry with rice and smiled in appreciation. "Better than the chef Daddy had.... you're hired," she said, shoveling more of the spicy sauce into her delighted mouth. "The best I can manage is heating a can of sardines and cooking rice... running low on that though. I couldn't carry a full sack. A princess isn't built for labor."

"Ah, so that's where the prince comes in," Daniel said, and she nodded with her mouth full and mumbled in agreement.

"Well... one of the requirements," she added, flashing him a flirtatious grin, before turning her attention wholeheartedly back to her food.

Even without the obvious sexual overtones in her manner, he was beginning to find her intriguing. She reminded him of a girl he had known when he was much younger. They were never more than friends, but she had the same outgoing and unconventional blend that drove the people around her crazy, but at the same time she was well liked. He hadn't seen her in nearly a decade, and he doubted she had survived the war... few had been that fortunate, though some would argue against it being fortunate to be alive during this time. He had often wondered it himself.

They chatted for quite some time, and it had become completely dark by the time they were finished eating. He had began to find himself getting more relaxed around her; first impressions of her had been less than stellar, but admittedly she had been extremely drunk, and far from her peak. They decided the dishes could wait until the morning, and headed outside to clean up from the days travel. The room had been supplied with a shower, but without electricity, the pump was no longer running, and they were forced to wash using the hand poso. Fortunately there was an abundance of solar lights still lighting the area, and the pump had an abundance of fresh water cool water.

"This is the reason I only rated this place a three... terrible plumbing," she informed him, grabbing two clean towels out of a plastic container, and quickly slipping off her heavy boots and skirt.

"Understandable," he agreed, as she straightened and turned toward him, the bright light of the solar lamps highlighting every curve of her now bare figure. Out of courtesy, though he had begun to suspect none was required, he tried to disregard her now completely bare figure. It was proving difficult not to admire what she was now diligently lathering in soap; she had just reached her legs and stopped the process midway through, and peered up at him.

"Aren't you going to join me?" He had not made a move to even undress, and was finding difficulty in where to focus his eyes. "Seriously?" she said, taking a nonchalant stance as the soap slid down her legs, forming a frothy foam over her feet. "It's not like you've never seen a nude girl before... besides, I need a serious back scrub. Here." She threw him a rough cloth, and turned her back, presenting him with her petite posterior.

Daniel caught it, but continued to stare at her bottom; his hands had the urge to squeeze the round and firm perfection. "You want me to scrub you?"

Poppy glanced back over her shoulder and chuckled. "What are you, ten?" she asked, and he smiled sheepishly. "I'm flexible, but there's places even I can't reach. It's not like I can ask anyone else--get out of those dirty clothes too... I don't want them touching me."

Daniel shrugged and obediently stripped out of his admittedly ripe clothing; the smell of beer and sweat was not a good combination. With the cloth in his hand, he spread another layer of soap over her shoulder and began rubbing diligently. "How do you manage to keep your skin so smooth," he commented, running his fingers over her round shoulders, the skin feeling like silk beneath his own rough fingertips.

Poppy was enjoying the pressure of his strong fingers against her skin more than she had anticipated, and she purposely pressed the small of her back against his penis. She could feel it stiffen against her, and she rubbed even more against it. He tried to control the reaction, but her instigation had only made it worse. She smiled to herself and twisted her head to kiss him on the side of his lips.

"Glad you're enjoying yourself... but no need to sweet talk me," she said, sliding her hand down to grip his penis. It stiffened even more noticeably at her touch, and she rubbed her fingers gingerly over the tip; there was an audible intake of breath in her ear as she released it and stepped away.

It was a moment before he regained his composure. "Just a pleasant observation," he said, resuming his scrubbing. He was beginning to find himself more at ease with her overt sexuality; it was not something he had come across very often before, but he was beginning to appreciate it. At least he didn't have to guess at her intentions.

Daniel continued to scrub diligently at her skin, and finding that he was actually enjoying the effort. He worked his way down until he had reached just past the small of her back, and then hesitated when he reached the top of her buttocks. "Go ahead--the front entrance could use some attention," Poppy suggested, reaching for his hand, and slowly guiding it down between her cheeks.

Poppy wasn't subtle about what she wanted, and he didn't hesitate to slide his hand to her front, where his fingertips slid against a pocket of warm moistness. Poppy spread her legs wider and unexpectedly grabbed his hand again, pressing his fingers hard against her. Rubbing them vigorously against her already tingling folds, she brought herself to a quick and potent orgasm. A prolonged moan escaped her lips, as her whole body shuddered repeatedly against him. Just as quickly, she pulled his fingers away and turned to press her soapy and hardened nipples up against his stomach. Giving him a quick, but intense kiss, she crouched on the ground and slipped her mouth over his stiff penis.

With a slow intensity, she slid her lips down the length of his hard shaft, feeling it press against the back of her throat. His hands reached forward and gently, but tightly gripped the sides of her head. With his hands as a guiding force, she began to slide her mouth up and down with an increasing intensity, until his body began to jerk and spasm. There was a sudden, almost violent release, as he pulled her head closer against him, driving almost his whole shaft into her mouth. Repeated spasms of pleasure rippled through his body, as she eagerly swallowed every drop he released into her.

Pulling back, she licked away every drop before standing to kiss him once more. "Just a quick appetizer... sleep first," she whispered, affectionately rubbing her hand across his stubbled cheek.

He could wait, but he had grown increasingly anxious to explore every inch of her petite and enticing figure. With a growing affection for her, he cupped her face gently between his palms, and kissed her plump lips gently. "Can't wait for the main course," he said, slipping one hand slowly down chest, to rub her already hard nipple between his finger tips. She sighed softly at the touch, and he bent to pull it between his lips. He could feel it harden even more beneath his touch, and he tugged gently a few times before pulling away.

"Ohhh, Okay, now I'm even more intrigued," she said, reaching toward a nearby rack and throwing him a fresh towel. "Here, dry me."

He proceeded to wipe her glistening skin dry, lingering between her legs where his fingers couldn't resist the temptation to slide briefly against her wetness. It was impossible to hide the fact that he had already become aroused again, and she laughed before throwing the other towel across his erect penis as if it were a towel rack. She grabbed the now wet towel from him and finished drying her hair. When they had finished drying and brushing their teeth, they hung the towels to dry, before heading into the bedroom to a large king size bed.

Poppy dropped onto what he could tell were freshly washed sheets, and sprawled out across the middle of the bed with her arms and legs spread wide; despite having completely dried, he noticed her prominent folds were still glistening in arousal, and he had the urge to plunge his tongue into their depths.

She knew the temptation she presented, and felt slightly guilty at the display. She was far to tired to engage in any further activity; her head had also begun to pound again too, and she was concerned she might puke. It was far from conducive to any kind of sexual interlude, and she shifted her position to a less enticing position. "Join me," she said, tapping at the empty space beside her. He knelt down beside her and leaned over in an attempt to kiss her inviting nipple again. She playfully shooed him away. "No now Prince... later."

He glanced down at his fully hardened penis. "What am I supposed to do with this?" he quipped, trying his best at pouting.

He had little experience in the artistry, and she only chuckled. "Put a cork in it... just until morning."

Even while they were speaking it had been growing considerably darker, and by the time he laid his head on the pillow close by her side, he could barely see more than a hands breath in front of him. It had been a long day, and he could feel the tiredness filling his body, but having a beautiful nude girl laying next to him was not something he had anticipated when he had woken that morning. It had been a long time since he had been intimate with anyone, and having her so close made it difficult to settle down enough to sleep. After tossing and turning for some time, he tentatively felt for her hand in the the dark, and gently entwined his fingers in hers. He had always been the affectionate type, and even that simple closeness would make it easier for him to sleep.

Poppy stirred at the touch, and leaned over to give him a soft, affectionate kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Daniel," she said softly, and rolled back to the other side again, before sliding her tiny figure close against his. Her skin was very warm and smooth against his, and he could feel the sweat already forming where their bodies touched, but it was not something he was bothered with. She apparently didn't mind either, and grabbed his hand to place his arm across her hip. He pulled her even closer, slipping his hand between her legs, and they soon both fell asleep.

* * *

Daniel was woken from a deep, dreamless sleep, slowly opening his partially alert eyes to find Poppy staring down at him; her dark eyes were filled with a clearly lustful expression, and there was a hint a of smile at the corners of her mouth. Her tiny fingers were tracing lines through the light wavy hairs of his muscular, but pale chest. She leaned over to give him a prolonged but tender kiss, tugging gently at his lips as she pulled away. Her long hair hung down along the edges of her face and splaying across his chest, partially covering her breasts.

"Good morning, sunshine," she said brightly, with far more cheerfulness than he would have expected from the hangover she must be experiencing. He smiled warmly at her as she leaned over again to give him a much more thorough kiss, far more suggestive than just a friendly morning greeting. Her petite bottom was laying pressed against his penis, and he felt it stir to life.

"Ohhh... someone's awake," Poppy announced, letting out a soft and lighthearted laughter, and proceeded to rub the growing wetness between her legs over the length of his stiffening shaft. Daniel reached his hands to her firm buttocks, cupping each cheek and pulling her light form close to his face. She rose to her knees and shifted her body close to his waiting tongue. "Pleasure Poppy."

He pressed his tongue hard against her, slowly running his tongue through the length of wetness. She squirmed, and then squealed in delight when he suddenly lifted her off him and dropped her carefully on her back against the bed. She eagerly spread her lean legs as he scrambled up from the mattress, and pressed his face down between her already glistening folds. She burst into a giggle at his touch, and quickly pulled his head tighter against her, as he began to run his tongue over the whole length, until he found the hard nob near the top. He pressed his tongue tightly against it and her body nearly lifted off the bed, her legs squeezing tightly against the sides of his head; she let out a prolonged, intense moan, as her fingers clutched tightly at his bare back. He felt her nails digging into his flesh as she squirmed even more beneath the growing intensity of her desire.

Gripping tightly to the sides of his head, she pulled him away and directed him toward her breasts. Pulling with his lips at her hardened nipples, his hand slid back down along the length of her increasingly sweating torso until his fingers slipped between her legs. She let out another louder moan, and pulled him toward her lips, kissing him with a rough and growing eagerness. Slipping her tongue in his mouth, she began to explore every corner, then abruptly pulled away.

She pulled close to his ear. "I want you in me--now," she said in a breathy whisper, running her tongue along the edges of his ear.

He pulled away, and with her eager guidance, he slowly slipped his engorged penis into her tight wet folds. She let out a staggered moan and roughly pulled him even tighter against her; she was stronger than he had expected, and he felt his stiff penis slip even deeper inside her. He thrust hard against her pelvis, as she gripped at his buttocks, guiding him with each stronger thrust. Her staggered breathing grew in intensity, coming in short gasps as he thrust harder and harder against her, her tiny figure sliding across the length of the bed from the force. When he thought he could no longer hold himself from coming, she shuddered, almost violently, and stifled a scream as the intensity of her orgasm increased; she gripped tightly at his buttock, keeping herself pressed tightly against him, trying not let him slip out of her. Even as the quaking in her body began to subside, he felt his penis explode inside her, and he could barely hold himself inside her as his body shook repeatedly, the strength in his arms and legs finally giving out as he dropped in exhaustion on top of her. He lay spent and barely able to move, breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breath. His heart was still pounding in his ears as she abruptly shoved her off him. He rolled with exhaustion onto his back, as she crawled over and slipped her mouth over his flagging penis. She diligently licked him dry before finally collapsing across his hot and sweaty flesh.

Poppy lifted her head and looked at him out of the top of her eyelids. "Shouldn't you clean up after yourself?" she suggested, slipping her hand down between her legs, and quickly pulling them back, her fingers now wet and sticky; She grinned and carefully wiped them with a flair across his chest. "See what I mean."

Daniel smiled at the overly theatrical gesture. "With pleasure," he agreed, laughing as he pushed her playfully off him. She had no doubt of his intentions, and she quickly spread her legs, allowing him to slip his head between them. Diligently, he ran his tongue over the moist and sticky remains until she was nearly dry. He nibbled at the hard nub at the top, and she giggled at sudden tingling that spread through her body all over again.

"Careful... you're gonna start me up again--a princess has only so much self-control you know," she said, reaching her hand between his legs and tugging at his penis; it wasn't as flaccid as she had expected, and she sensed another round of pleasuring. Poppy wasn't one for subtlety, and Daniel had been given far less direct requests before; he eagerly complied.

* * *

"That wasn't bad for an old man," Poppy admitted, sighing contentedly as she lay on the damp sheets, her eyes closed, and not wanting to move a single muscle. Daniel was leaning over her, still teasing her nipples with his tongue, and gently tugging them between his lips; she was too tired to engage him any further, but she found his continued attentions pleasurable.

He pulled away and looked down at her relaxed form. "What do you mean old... I'm only twenty-eight," he protested, but she grinned noticeably without opening her eyes, and he realized she was just teasing him. "You like to tease don't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said with feigned ignorance, opening her eyes as she sat up and draped her legs over the side of the bed. If she let him continue his amorous attentions, they were never going to leave the bed; she was already feeling the mood returning.

He smiled, finding her abundant charisma impossible to ignore; there was no doubt in his mind it was going to prove to be a dangerous thing. "Of course you don't," he said, leaning in to tug at her nipple before giving her another quick kiss.

Poppy giggled and playfully pushed him away. "So... are you ready to check out?" she asked, reaching for a plastic dresser where she stored her stash of clothes, none of which contained a single top; she hadn't worn one since the war, and failed to find a reason now. The restrictions of her culture died with mostly everyone else, and she had no intention on reviving any of that nonsense.

"Are we going somewhere... together?" Daniel asked, realizing he hadn't been thinking of anything beyond his continued enjoyment of Poppy; thinking about it now, he realized he had quickly grown fond of her, and couldn't think of a single reason for them to part company.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Of course together... I don't do one night stands," she added, with a tone that couldn't mask her annoyance. She had never been that type, and wasn't about to begin now. "What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"Clearly a beautiful one," he replied, with what he considered his own abundant charm, and kissed her on the tip of her nose; it was the truth after all, and a good way to avoid stepping onto any potential minefields.

She blushed despite the blatant flattery, but quickly regained her composure and smacked him affectionately on the arm. "You just want more sex."

That was obvious, and there was no point in denying it. "Well of course I do... what were you thinking?" he questioned, still having the urge to explore every inch of her he hadn't managed to get to.

She was just as eager for more attention, but she wasn't going to admit it to him; a girl had to keep a guy guessing, or they became to complacent. "Well that's going to have to wait. I have something else to show you first," she said, taking his hand and leading him into the main room, and to the door of the comfort room. "I have a little.... secret."

He thought about it for a moment. "You're a serial killer?" he questioned, and she punched him in the arm. She was definitely stronger than she looked, and he tried not to show how much it had hurt; he had his masculine pride.

"Seriously.... I would have killed you in your sleep already," she said with a devilish wink in her eye. "My stash." She pushed the door open and he peered into the slightly darkened room.

Though Daniel was very familiar with most of the weapons spread across the floor, and those leaning carefully against the walls, he was a little surprised by the cases of grenades and what he noticed were clearly labeled boxes of C4. He turned with a somewhat surprised look to Poppy, who was grinning expectantly at him like a girl at her first prom. "Not what I was expecting," he said, but with her eager encouragement, he stepped into the room and lifted up an old, but well maintained M16 assault rifle.

The smile had grown on Poppy's face. "It's my collection," she said, grabbing a Remington R4 and caressing it tenderly with her fingers. "I was a member of the AFP... well, unofficially. I volunteered. We were stationed in Pangasinan when they struck the islands."

That probably should have surprised him, but he was beginning to think nothing about her would. "Any particular reason... for the collection that is?" he finally asked, carefully laying the rifle back in its position; her eyes seemed to judge the accuracy of his placement.

"Beautiful, aren't they," she said in a tone that he would have expected to be reserved for a collection of rare books, but he nodded in agreement, not sure if beautiful was exactly the word he would have chosen for a weapon. "Sort of saved them for a special occasion..." Her words dropped away, and she fell silent as she glanced once more into the room.

"And that would be..." Daniel encouraged, but she turned away with what appeared to him as embarrassment. "Really... now you're shy?" He laughed, and gently turned her face toward him; she batted her eyes playfully. "What is it?"

She recovered quickly, and her faced perked up. "Have you ever wondered if any of those bugs survived the war?"

"Bugs?"

"The aliens... we called them bugs," she explained. "But did you ever think some might be out there?"

He cut his laugh short when he realized she was serious. "I'll have to admit the thought has crossed my mind. What did you have in mind?"

A mischievous smile curled at the edges of her plump lips. "Maybe a little... hunting?" she asked, and her eyes seemed to light up at the thought.

"Well, I was thinking of opening a business, but... I guess I can put that on hold," he said, and she laughed, wrapping her arms around him affectionately. He pulled her close, and kissed the top of her head.

They quickly dressed, both of them finding the prospect of encountering one of the aliens more than a little exciting. Gathering what weapons and ammunition they could carry in their heavy military packs, including a stash of mre's, they prepared to exit the resort. Daniel was a perfectly attired military recruitment poster, but Poppy had no intention on following military protocol; she wore a short green camouflage skirt and matching neckerchief that resembled part of a student uniform, and her heavy military boots. Daniel began to realize it was her standard mode of dress, though he was far from displeased at her choices.

The air was already growing hot when they stepped out into the nearly cloudless sky. They adjusted their packs and weapons as they headed down the path, both feeling a tingle of anticipation as they hurried off toward the shore, heading east along the northern coast where they would begin their southeast trip towards Manila. It wasn't a well thought out mission, or even remotely resembling one, but times were not what they used to be, and neither cared about any clear destination as long as they did it together.