Steven slammed the car into second, drove up onto the footpath, and edged past the mostly closed stores before turning into the driveway and hauling the vehicle into the first available park.

He leapt out, not bothering to lock it, and ran for the building entrance, fishing the access card out of his pocket as he went. Slamming the card against the sensor, he flew into the relative quiet of the foyer, and ran for the lifts.

He tried to calm down as the lift took him slowly up the levels, and by the time the doors opened he mostly had control of himself. Turning to the right and walking down the hallway, he stopped outside the door of the apartment, and knocked loudly on the door.

He could hear a muffled comment from inside the door, and then it swung open. "Oh, Steven, it's you!"

"You expected someone else, Cassie?"

"Well, not exactly. Come in. I want to lock this again."

He followed her into the apartment, and swung his head around, worried suddenly. He looked back at Cassie locking the door, and as she looked back at him, he asked. "Cassie, she's not here, is she?"

"No. No, she's not."

"Well, don't lock the fucking door then! Where is she?"

"I'm not sure. She should be at her Mum's place, I think."

"I tried to phone her."

"Yeah, the phone system is overloaded."

"Oh God, I gotta go get her."

"You can't, Steven."

"Why the fuck not? Open the door."

"No, hold on. Come and look at the TV. You'll never get there anyway."

"No?"

"No. I don't know how you got here."

"It wasn't easy."

"I'm sure. Just come and see, first, okay?"

"Okay. Sorry Cassie. It's not your fault."

"It's okay. Come sit down."

"Look, I gotta..."

"No, sit first. You'll see what I mean."

"Oh, just for a minute then."

"Yep."

He sat in front of the TV, suddenly exhausted, and watched the disaster unfurl, complete with live footage, interviews, commentary, video clips, library footage.

It came down to this. China had been pissed off once too often, and finally realised they had the ability to do something about it. In a thoroughly efficient fashion, they had attacked key points in the infrastructure, delivered a number of impossible ultimatums, and then sat back and waited.

The current state was that essential services were falling apart, fast, in various centres around the country, and the government seemed completely unable to do anything about it.

The video footage made it clear that Cassie was correct. If he left now, Steven would probably never make it to where Faye was, unless he went on foot. That was crazy.

Steven sat quietly, slowly realising the size of the problem. He took a beer from Cassie without saying a word, and managed to drink it without even noticing.

Eventually, he seemed to spring back to life, looked at Cassie for a moment, grabbed the phone and tried yet again to phone Faye. Nothing. Hoping beyond reason, he pulled the cellphone from his pocket, and punched in the quick-dial to Faye's mobile. He was just about to put it back in his pocket in disgust when it started ringing. At the third ring Faye answered it, and screamed in his ear for a moment before he managed to calm her down enough to hear what she was saying.

"Faye, stop that, girl. I can't understand."

"Oh, sorry Steve. I'm just so pleased to hear from you. I thought you'd been hurt."

"Don't be daft. Why would that happen?"

"Well, I didn't hear from you."

"Nor I from you. Listen, stop this for a minute. The phone could stop working."

"Oh. Yeah, okay."

"Where are you, Faye?"

"Huh? With my brothers, of course."

"At home?"

"Of course at home. Where are you?"

"Oh, I'm here. At your place."

"You're with Cass?"

"Yeah, sure. She's sitting here."

"Oh, good. You been watching the news?"

"Yeah. Faye, I'm not sure I can get there tonight."

"What? Don't you even try!"

"Okay. I won't. You'll be alright?"

"Steven, I have three brothers who can lift cattle. Of course I'll be alright."

"Okay."

"Anyway, you need to stay there. You need to look after Cassie."

"Oh, Cassie's..." He looked over at her, and realised he hadn't even asked her how she was coping. Actually, she didn't look too good. "Hold on Faye. Cassie. Come here."

"No, no. You're talking to Faye."

"Doesn't matter. Come on."

"You need privacy."

"Bullshit. Here!"

Faye piped in then. "She's not a dog, Steve. Oh, hey, just thought of something. Can I talk to her for a minute?"

"Yeah, sure. Listen, just in case the phones pack it in, I'll try to get out there in the morning, alright?"

"Only if it's safe, Steve. I'm fine here. We have enough food for a year, I'm sure!"

"Okay, well if I can."

"You bet. Hand it over."

"Cassie. Here, Faye wants to talk to you."

Cassie took the phone, and spoke quietly with Faye for a moment. Then suddenly she stood up, and ran off to the kitchen, leaving Steven alone, staring at the catastrophe unfolding on the screen.

Eventually she came back, sat back down, and handed the phone to Steven.

"Hello?"

"Hi Stevie."

"Faye, what on earth did you say to her?"

"I... listen, I want to ask you something."

"You... okay. What?"

"Well, did you know, Cassie has had a thing for you for as long as she's known you?"

"She what? Don't be silly."

"I'm not. Look at her."

"I'm... Oh. Faye, she went bright red."

"Yep. Listen, she told me about this a long time ago, and made me promise not to mention it to you."

"But... well, why tell me now?"

"Hmmm...She doesn't love you. She doesn't want to take you off me."

"No?"

"No. It's a physical thing."

"Oh."

"She... umm... hee hee. She just wants to fuck you."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Now the thing is... well... Steven... It's just a guess, but I don't think you'd mind either, right?"

"Oh, I see now. This is a trap, isn't it?"

"Huh? Oh, no. No, it's not. I wouldn't embarrass Cassie like this just to catch you out, boyo."

"No?"

"No way. I'll tell you plainly. You can if you want to. Tonight. Just tonight. I've told Cassie the same. That's what the blush is for."

"Oh. Wow."

"Wow?"

"Yeah."

"That's it? Wow?"

"Ummm... "

"Ah, you finding it difficult to talk, with the audience?"

"Yeah, a bit."

"Okay, you want to know how she feels about it?"

"Ah, yeah. Yep."

"She wants to. She never thought she would, but she and I have sat up late talking about it lots of times. She really wants to."

"Okay."

"And you want to know if it's really okay with me. It is."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, really. I trust you Steven. Actually, the whole thing turns me on, just a little."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Oh, one more thing. She's heard you."

"Huh?"

"Well, us. But you make all the noise."

"Oh!"

"Yeah. Apparently, you make it difficult to sleep!"

"I.. Oh."

"And Steve, she's not coping too well with all this other shit. She needs reassurance. I know how reassuring you can be."

"I can?"

"Oh, yeah, you can. So, what's the answer?"

"Well, umm... yes."

"Yes?"

"Uh huh."

"Hand Cass the phone for a minute. And I'll talk to you tomorrow, stud."

"You're sure, right?"

"I am. Hand it over."

Steven passed the phone to Cassie, who was sitting right next to him, and watched. She made a couple of non-committal noises into the phone, and then went bright red again, looking at Steven with tears in her eyes.

Obviously following some instructions from Faye now, she reached her hand out, and Steven took it in his. She confirmed this to Faye, and hung up.

Sitting there now, it was suddenly awkward. They stared at each other, their hands sweaty, until Cassie jumped up and raced off to get another couple of beers.

Nothing was said, but when she sat back down, she didn't hold his hand again. Not wanting to push anything, Steven sat there quietly, watching the worsening pictures on the TV, and sipping his beer.

Another hour or so went by, television watching interrupted only by bathroom breaks and another round of beers. They both kept their hands to themselves, shyness having set in, and watched.

The government had refused, as expected, to give in to any of the demands, and authorities were preparing as best they could for what they expected to be another wave of offensives. The military were taking control of most of the important facilities throughout the country. Things were getting really bad.

It was dark outside by this time, and as they both stared at the reports, they could hear the sounds of car horns being angrily thumped outside, and a couple of what sounded like major accidents down on the road. One of the effects of living so high in the building was a feeling of remoteness to the world outside, and the whole situation, inside and out, was so weird that they didn't even get up to look out the windows.

A little later, reports started coming in that parts of the country were no longer in contact with the police, military or media, and fears were held for the safety of large numbers of people. It seemed that the number of locations affected was rising very quickly, when suddenly they were returned to a new report which suggested that the Chinese had launched some sort of aerial offensive. Details were sketchy.

As the news report returned to the list of locations they could no longer contact, three things happened in rapid succession.

First, the image on the TV went fuzzy, then the sound disappeared.

Secondly, without warning, the TV, all the other appliances and the lights went out. The apartment was in complete darkness, strangely warm and quiet, only the noise of the vehicles downstairs to be heard.

Thirdly, Cassie squealed, threw her beer can to the floor, swung around so she was astride Steven, her knees either side of his legs, and hugged him, desperately and hard.

Steven wasn't at all opposed to the idea of the hug, but he gently pushed Cassie away a little, and removed his beer can from between their bodies, before pulling her back to him, his hands gentle on her back, reassuring her that she wasn't being rejected.

It was strange to be in this position with the room so dark. He couldn't see Cassie at all, and had to find his way by feel. That wasn't a bad thing, on the whole.

Leaning forward a little, he pressed himself into Cassie's chest, and allowed her hands to reach behind his back. Positioned a little more comfortably now, both sets of hands roamed more freely.

Memory played a part here, of course. Even though he'd never touched her breasts, he'd seen her dressed in a lot of different ways over the last few months, and he knew how they looked.

With the height advantage of the way she was crouched, Cassie's face was roughly level with Steven's, and their mouths met without hesitation, two soft sets of lips exploring, pressing and sliding against each other, still without speaking.

A few minutes went by, and Steven's hands had found their way under Cassie's top, and slid up until they found a bra strap.

Cassie suddenly jumped up from Steven's lap, and he was worried he'd done something wrong, scaring her to the point that she couldn't continue. He stopped worrying when she giggled, and spoke to him.

"Steven, should I take this off, or do you want to do it?"

"The top?"

"Not the top. No, that's off already. My God, it's dark, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is. You can take it off. I might fumble it, and ruin my reputation."

"Oh, it would take more than that. Faye's told me a lot."

"She has?"

"Yeah. Is that a problem?"

"No, not really. Well, guess it depends what she said."

"She loves you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know that."

"She only said good stuff. Well, except for the snoring, and I already knew about that."

"That's alright then. I should pull this shirt off?"

"Ooh, could I?"

"Yeah, sure. You have a shirt fetish?"

"Not usually."

"Okay. Hey, careful. I want to keep those ears."

"Sorry Steven. I can't see!"

"It's alright. You going to sit back down?"

"Like I was?"

"Mmmm... Yeah, like that."

"Okay."

As she settled back into place, Steven held his hands in front of himself, and greeted her breasts with a gentle caress, feeling her body shudder with the contact. Cassie leaned against the pressure, obviously wanting more from him, so as she sat topless, and sought out his mouth with hers, he continue the caress, stroking her breasts quite firmly now, pinching her erect nipples, careful to take notice if she flinched. Her sigh was a definite sign of approval, so he kept it up for a while, before letting her body fall against his, and feeling the heat and fullness of her breasts against his chest.

His hands were able to explore her bare back then, as she was doing to him, and he delighted in the feel of her spine on his fingers, as she replicated the same movements on his. Their mouths seemed locked together now, both tongues exploring the spaces, both sets of lips slippery and hot.

Stevens cock was hard and uncomfortable in his jeans, and Cassie was doing nothing to help, thrusting her groin against him, and sighing as his covered cock rubbed against her trousers in just the right place. She kept it up. A rhythmic rocking that aroused him even more than her almost musical sighs.

Eventually, Cassie pulled her mouth from his, and tucked her head in beside his, where she could speak in his ear. She spoke quietly to him, a husky sexy whisper in the darkness.

"Sweetie, is that comfortable down there?"

"Not exactly, Cassie. It is nice though."

"Mmmm... Me too. You like this bit, don't you?"

"God yes!"

"Me too. Umm... I think all my shyness disappeared with my shirt. I want to say something."

"Go ahead."

"I just... ooooh... I'm going to come in my panties if you keep this up, and I can do that any time."

"Are you? Is that what you do when you listen to Faye and I?"

"I... she told you?"

"Would it be alright if she did?"

"Yeah, it would."

"Then she did."

"Okay. Then... Yes. Yes, I do. Sometimes. I can hear the two of you, and I can't help myself."

"Ooooh."

"Is that alright?"

"It's more than alright Cassie. What a turn on!"

"Well, that's what I think!"

"Ooh, you won't be the only one coming in your pants if you keep that up."

"You want me to stop, Steve?"

"No. Yes. Well, that depends. Just take it easy for a minute. Cassie, do you want to go through with this?"

"This?"

"You want to fuck me, Cassie?"

"Oh. Yes. Yes, I do. Very much."

"Then you better stop."

"Huh?"

"You can't fuck with your trousers on."

"Oh."

"So hop up. Okay. Hee hee. Is that a button, or what?"

"Clip. Like this."

"Oh, I see. Wiggle a bit. Yeah. Like that. Does that feel better?"

"Panties, Steve. Finish the job. I don't want to have to stop again."

He turned his hand, slid it gently down the front outside of her damp panties, and his finger curled right on under and traced right down the damp spot, pressing in a little.

"Okay, they're... Hmmm... they are rather wet, Cassie."

His other hand fumbled at the waistband, first one side then the other. Eventually he had to get one hand out of the way of the other.

"Of course they are. Hey, you think that's how you take panties off?"

"Is it not?"

"It's not how I do it, Steven, but hey, it sure feels good."

"And wet."

"Uh huh."

"And hot."

"Yeah, hot. Really hot. Lemme go for a second."

"Oh. Sorry."

"No, it's just the panties only made it to my knees. Do your job, mister."

"There you go. Lift your foot."

"I can kick 'em off now. Whee. Ooh, just thought of something."

"What's that?"

"I hope I don't have to crawl around and find them, in the dark."

"I don't think you'll need them."

"Is that a promise?"

"It will be, if you help me with these jeans."

"You know, I'm not sure I can do this with your hands like that."

"It's uncomfortable?"

"Distracting."

"Ah. I'm not stopping then."

"Well, a little harder on my nipples then, would you?"

"Like this?"

"Oooh, yeah. Just like that. Is this a button?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, it's... Oh, got it. There we go. Oh, there wasn't much room in there."

"Nope. Hey, don't do that if you want me to use it for something else."

"I'll be good. Okay, lift your ass a little. Unnngh! Cool. Lift feet. Yep. Lemme go again, would you?"

"Oh?"

"Just for a second. Okay. Now lemme check here."

"Ooh."

"Hmm... briefs?"

"Ah, yup."

"Cotton, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Hmmm... black?"

"Ummm... actually, I'm not... Oh, hold on. Got up this morning... Ummm... Oh, yeah. Yeah they are. How did you know?"

"Lucky guess actually. I've unloaded them from the dryer often enough. That seemed the most likely."

"You've been perving at my laundry?"

"Not perving. Just noticed."

"I won't tell."

"Good. These seem to have a wet spot though."

"That's your fault."

"You've been dribbling?"

"Happens."

"Tell you a secret?"

"Uh huh."

"I really like that. I had a boyfriend once who... oh, you know him actually. Not sure if I should say."

"I've known a few of them Cassie. You go ahead. Just don't say his name."

"Ah, fuck it. Jason."

"Oh, Jase, huh? Yeah, what about him?"

"He never... leaked. Never."

"Oh, really?"

"Nope. You won't tell, will you?"

"I could hardly discuss this conversation now could I?"

"Ah... no, I guess not."

"Anyway, I feel like I should confess something now, Cassie."

"Oh, yes?"

"Yes. But listen, could you take those off first?"

"Oh, sorry. I was just..."

"I know exactly what you were just doing."

"It was nice."

"I agree."

"Lift your ass again, would you? Better?"

"Much."

"I agree. I can do this now."

"I guess that has the advantage of not needing hands. Umm... before the confession... ah, what colour are you?"

"Huh?"

"No, down there."

"Oh. Ah, green."

"Green?"

"Yeah."

"Cassie, you have green pubic hair?"

"Don't be silly."

"You just said."

"Huh? Oh, no, whoops. I thought you meant my panties."

"No, no. Not panties. These."

"Oh. Kinda mousy brown."

"Your other hair isn't mousy."

"Would be, if I left it alone."

"Oh."

"Steve, you had a confession?"

"Hmmm? Oh, yeah. Umm... you know how you said about lying in bed, listening?"

"Yep."

"I did that too."

"Oh? Who did you listen to?"

"You, of course."

"Me?"

"Well, you and that tall guy. Pete?"

"Oh, yeah, Pete. He did test the bedsprings, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but he got you to make noises too."

"Yeah he did, that's true. You listened to us?"

"Yeah. It wasn't intentional. I woke up late one night."

"Oh. Steven, did you just... listen?"

"No, actually. Faye was asleep, and had an early morning. I... took care of it."

"Ooh. Like this?"

"Mmhhmm. Pretty much. Ooh, stop that."

"You don't like it?"

"I like it too much."

"Ooh. Alright then, if I must. Hey, are you black down there?"

"The hair, you mean?"

"This hair."

"Oh. Yes Cassie. Black."

"Mmhmm... Listen, I know this might sound a little forward, after before, but... how about we stop messing around, and get this show on the road?"

"I was just waiting to see you weren't backing out."

"Does this feel like backing out?"

"No, Cassie. It doesn't."

"So what about you?"

"Huh?"

"You want to back out?"

"Oh. Uh uh. Nope. Not at all."

"You want to stay here Steve, or the bedroom?"

"I'm comfy here. Got this cute girl sitting on me."

"Then stop talking."

"Yes boss."

"That's better."

Cassie lifted herself off his lap then, pushed her pelvis forward a little, kissed him on the forehead, and slowly lowered herself over him. She could feel her slippery skin slide down around his erection, groans escaping both of them as she was impaled just the way she wanted.

She sat there for a moment, feeling full and stretched in the most delightful way. Steve didn't move either, scared that if he did this would be over, and he wasn't ready for that just yet.

Their mouths found each other again, and while their lower bodies remained almost motionless, their tongues got reacquainted.

As they grew a little more accustomed to the feeling, Cassie started to move, just a little, a tiny rock that pressed the top of his cock just where she wanted it, and sent pulses through his body at the same time. The movements slowly become more energetic, skin sliding against slippery skin now, and Steve joined in more actively, rocking his cock back and forth as Cassie lifted and lowered herself over him, taking longer and longer strokes, almost frictionless now, though tight and wonderful for them both.

Eventually Cassie removed her mouth from his, and tucked her head in his shoulder, both of them breathing heavily, and increased the rhythm slowly. Soon she pulled her head back, put her hands on his shoulders and straightened her arms. She pumped him now, lifting herself almost off his shaft and plummeting back down it again, grunting and moaning with pleasure.

Steven let her know that he was close, and she reassured him that she was also. In the midst of the disaster, in a hot, dark apartment, with her best friend's lover, she could feel her orgasm rise within her.

As she moved slightly above him, she knew they were both too far gone to stop, and as she squeezed with her thighs, they were both oblivious to the events unfolding outside the room, down on the ground below. As her nerves took the last bit of stimulation they could handle, and all of Steven's muscles lined up to release a torrent, they had no idea how bad things had become.

They both screamed, and her thighs slammed shut, and his come pumped deep inside her shivering, shuddering body. His nerves told his mind that he was in heaven, and her cunt released a torrent of messages to her mind. They didn't care what else was happening.

As they collapsed against each other, sweaty and happy, hot and buzzing, the worst possible outcome of the conflict outside became reality. The military had completed their own assignments for the evening, and the shockwave hit.