“Oh my God. Oh. Oh. I hate you.” His arms wrapped around his chest, and I could already see the shivering. I’d have laughed at him if my teeth weren’t chattering. Pops lecturing me about the dangers of night swimming rumbled in the back of my head. For once, I hope he wasn’t looking down on me.
After a few minutes, either the water warmed or we went numb. The pool stretched the width of the river, and we slowly paddled back and forth. The flow of the water pushed us along, trying to drag me closer to him. A moment later, Nick’s splashes went quiet, and I had to turn and make sure he hadn’t been swept under. He stood perfectly still, his face glowing from the lantern. Eyes turned up, I followed his gaze to the stars.
“I get it,” he whispered.
I didn’t want to be in Firefly… mostly. It was impossible to completely shun my hometown, not when it gave me the opportunity to stand here beneath a million glowing specs. My issues all but evaporated. Here, out in the wild, naked as a blue jay, none of it seemed to matter. How it all happened… nothing.
I was where the universe wanted me.
Under the water, something brushed my hand. I almost jerked away before his fingers locked with mine. I wanted to pull him closer and give him a bear hug from behind. Resting my head on his shoulder, we could be part of the vastness, a tiny part, together. My chest filled with feels and I dismissed them. Naked underneath a canopy of stars, my emotions tried to get away from me.
He squeezed my hand, never looking away from the sky.
Thesefeelings were not so easily dismissed.
We reached the point where if we stayed any longer, we’d turn into prunes. We continued to trade, “We should probably get out,” and “Damn, I’m cold.” But neither of us moved toward the lantern. I had been made a convert. While I was not initially thrilled with the company, having Nick here made itnew. The roles had changed. Me, the sagely guide, and Nick, the kid unsure about Mother Nature. With each experience, I came closer to understanding why Pops insisted on dragging me along.
“Thanks,” he said as he ran his hands through the small waterfall.
“For?” As much as I hated to see it end, it was time to dry off by the fire.
“Clashing.” He followed me along the rocks. “This is the opposite of my last visit to Firefly.”
I shivered as I stood on the rocks. What should have been a cool breeze sent a shiver down my spine. I spun about, reaching down, offering Nick a hand. Pulling him up, we collided, dangly bits smushed together. They dangled less by the second. If I were being polite, I’d have excused myself and pulled away. If he could seize a moment for a kiss, then I could?—
I leaned forward, our bellies pressed together?—
“Whoa!” His arms flailed as he slid back, ready to tumble back into the water. I threw an arm around his waist. Instead of pulling him closer, I dipped down and, with a grunt, lifted him onto my shoulder.
“What are you doing?” He didn’t resist.
“Can… you… get… that?”
I lowered to one knee next to the flashlight. Nick wiggled as he snatched it. I strained getting back to my feet. I had overestimated my strength. A thin man, I could spin him around like a baton. Nick had some meat on his bones… thick, beautiful meat. If I looked to my left, I’m sure I’d have seen that meat dancing in the open air.
“What about our clothes?”
I grunted as I stepped off the rock onto dried pine needles. We were nudists now. I imagined a squirrel running off with my briefs or a deer wearing his jeans. I chuckled at the thought. What started out like any other camping trip had suddenly transitioned into something a bit moreintimate. Of all the men I had seen naked, never did I consider carrying them through the woods in the buff. Perhaps they’d have understood the magic of sleeping under the stars. Most would have turned around at the tree line and walked back to a four-star hotel.
“What if somebody?—”
“Fuck ‘em. They can watch.”
Would they have seen two naked men pretending to tap into their primal roots? Or would they have seen two men getting dangerously close to?—
Pain shot through my calf. “Cramp.” I bent over, dropping Nick onto his feet. I stretched my leg out, trying to fight off the tightening muscle. If people were watching, they’d have front-row seats to the absolute worst seduction in the history of mankind. For all the alluring things I could have said, all I could come up with was, “Balls!”
The muscle relaxed. When I stood, Nick shook his head.
“Serves you right. What are you? A neanderthal?”
I gave him a grunt and snarl. “Fire.” I pointed. “Food.” I rubbed my belly.
“You’re really relying on being cute, huh?”
Nick sat down on the sleeping bag. He kept a firm upper lip, but the chill of the air had him shivering. My opinion of him had shifted. Nick could have complained every step of the way. Between the bugs, the sweaty hiking, freezing water—wow. When I listed it out, I couldn’t fathom why anybody thought of this as a good time. Yet here he was, naked and wet, and for the first time since meeting, he seemed content.
I grabbed a log and set it on the fire. Poking at the coals with a stick, the flame returned. I stood by, ready to stoke it again. The least I could do for the guy was keep him warm.
