Summer Camp - 3. Differences of Opinion

They built tents until mid-morning and then in a single gruff sentence which caused Paddy to thank the Great Spirits in his head, Nic sent Paddy off with Troy to get acquainted with the site and the locations of the various activities.

“Go show him the damn ropes.”

The idea of being back in the woods, alone with his mate was enough to make Paddy grin as they left the field and headed out on the narrow path through the woodland.

“The Great Spirits must be bein’ nice tae us after this morning,” Paddy walked close to Troy, their knuckles brushing every step, “If he’d sent me off wi anyone else I think I might’ve just refused tae go.”

Troy stopped, frowning at him.

“What?” They were under the tree line, and Paddy hoped they were out of sight enough to be invisible from the main hub of camp. There would be other people in the woods, checking on the equipment one last time before the season started, other new transfers getting the tour, but Paddy figured he’d hear or smell them coming. He reached for Troy and when the smaller man pulled away it was like a slap in the face.

“Hey!”

“Seriously? You believe in the Great Spirits?”

“You don’t?”

“Well let’s see,” Troy crossed his arms across his chest and glowered at his taller companion, “I’m not an idiot and I’m not a cub anymore, so no, I don’t believe in ‘the Great Spirits’.” He made little quotations marks around the words as he said them, his voice mocking.

Paddy snarled.

“Oh great. My boyfriend is a fucking religious nut.” The next moment, Troy was flat on his back at the edge of the path, Paddy crouched over him, hand fisted in the front of his shirt.

“I’m nae yer boyfriend!” He growled eyes dark and hard.

“And I thought you were the one keen to label me as being gay.” Troy smiled, but it wasn’t a friendly gesture, he was showing his teeth.

“Yer ma mate!” The bear shook his partner, half wanting to hug him and never let go, and half wishing he could pummel him into the soft ground.

“What the fuck is the difference?” Troy was snarling now too, and the space between them was heating up with the threat of violence and pointy teeth.

“Yer can have more than one boyfriend. Yer cannae niver hae more than one mate.” Paddy took a deep breath as instinct backed off and his vision cleared a little bit, “Yer mine and I’m yers and that be all thar is.”

Troy snapped his teeth, then wrapped his hand around the back of Paddy’s head and kissed him hard enough to make both of them see the stars in daylight, their pupils were so blown. Paddy could feel his lover’s erection digging into him, his own answering swell. The heat between them had taken on a new edge, darker, softer, and more all-consuming than the raw anger had been. Not that he wasn’t angry still. Troy thought he was an idiot cub for believing in the Great Spirits, had mocked him openly. The other shifter still hadn’t admitted to being gay, and wanted them to be careful in sight of humans and yet now he was a writhing, growling, panting mass of hotness under Patrick’s body and his kisses were like fire.

“I need you. Now.”

“But it’s tha middle o’tha day…” Paddy knew his body well enough to know if he didn’t get more of Troy’s skin, he was going to explode before lunch.

“It’s fine. Come with me.” Troy was stronger than he looked, and pushed Paddy off him, and hauled the bear upright before taking off into the forest.

They abandoned the paths, bypassed the activities and obstacles which they were supposed to be exploring, and ended up in a little hollow of trees which appeared to be miles from anywhere at all. The sandy dip in the ground was maybe seven feet across and shaded on all sides by big ponderous looking pine trees, thick with needles. Paddy didn’t ask how Troy knew about the place, or how he found it, because the desire to touch his mate was much more overwhelming than mere curiosity. He ran his hands up under Troy’s jumper, delighting at the taut skin dusted with smooth hairs under his fingers. Troy bit the side of his neck when Paddy’s thumbs brushed over his nipples, and whined against his skin.

“What is that?”

Paddy smirked and rubbed his thumb back and forth over one hard bud. Troy dug his fingernails into his mate’s ribs hard enough to break the skin.

“Fuck!”

“Patrick! S-stop!” Troy tried to pull away, but was betrayed by his hips, which stuck against Paddy like glue, “Oh god…”

“Babe?”

“If you do that again, there’s not gonna be anything else.” The smaller man shook in his arms. “Fuck Patrick, I don’t know what to do!”

“Kiss me again.”

Troy’s kiss was like trying to swallow a fire brand, red hot from the forge. Paddy groaned against him, dropping his hands from the sensitive points of Troy’s nipples, fingers quick and hurried on the fly of his trousers. The shifter’s fingers dug into the back of his neck, snarling in his ear as he wrapped his hand around Troy’s cock and brought the member into contact with his own. Paddy was longer by an inch, marginally thicker, but they were well matched otherwise, and all it took was for Troy to lean up and kiss him again to get both of them level and lined up. Paddy wrapped a hand around both their dicks and prayed silently that Troy hadn’t been joking about being close, because a familiar tightness in his groin told him he wasn’t going to be lasting very long at all.

“Wha…” Troy’s voice faded off in wonderment and awe and Paddy found the top of his mate’s head resting on his sternum as Troy stared at them both coupled together, “Fucking hell.”

Paddy panted against Troy’s head, a small part of his brain taking the time to remember he wanted to brush Troy’s hair for him, fuss over him, and generally take care of him, while the rest of his body went on without any input whatsoever from his skull. He jacked them together in his hand, and this time it was frantic and hurried and fast. He could feel Troy’s pulse through every single point of contact their bodies had, from Troy’s scalp against his chest, to his own palm and cock against Troy’s burning hot erection. The dig of the shifter’s fingernails let him know he was close.

He remembered, from the first time he’d done this with another guy and been as fascinated with watching as Troy was now, to grab his partners chin and force him to rip his gaze away. Troy was about to protest or complain, but Paddy growled and both their chins were seared with his forceful emission. Troy went suddenly very still and flowed out into Paddy’s hand.

“Oh…” Troy’s eyes were huge in wonderment.

“Yeah…” Paddy let each of them go softly, then used a finger to wipe the underside of Troy’s stubbled chin, “Ye daen’t wan tae be looking doon when that happens. Not the first time anyway.”

They stood in the hollow, leaning against each other, panting softly as the air became less sauna like. Paddy’s shirt was ruined, Troy’s had stayed pushed up under his armpits. Slowly, paddy pulled his shirt off by the collar, turned it inside out, and used it to wipe them both down as best he could. When he stroked Troy’s shrinking cock, ever so gently, the young man shuddered and moaned.

“Fuck… how’d you get so good at this stuff?”

“Practice.” Paddy tucked his shirt through the belt loops on his shorts. “Ye reckon wi hae time f’ a run?”

“In fur?” Troy shook his head, rolling his shoulders, “Nah. But I’ll bet you look good all sweaty and shirtless.” He stepped back away from Paddy, his cheeky grin drawing the bear in.

“An’ I thought ye were nae gay eh?” Paddy couldn’t help but smile as he followed his lover out of the thicket of trees. Troy was still beaming just like a satisfied tom-cat would.

“I’m coming around to the idea. Come on.”

The pair were well matched for speed, and Troy lead them on a circuitous route back to the path. They jogged at a high speed, taking the way which they should have gone before, visiting the low obstacle course, the tree top run, the wobbly log. Troy pointed down the way that lead to the site of the scrambling course Paddy already knew wasn’t meant for him and the archery fields which were out that way before they moved on. There were a dozen activities in the trees, some harder than others, all of them requiring teamwork and trust, and a hell of a lot of risk assessment forms. As they looped back towards River Road, Paddy grinned, put on a burst of speed and they raced each other back to the campsite.

Troy was naturally faster, lighter on his feet, sure footed like the animal he was, but Paddy had strength and desire and the will to be dominant this time on his side. As they went speeding towards the mess hall, it became clear than Troy didn’t like to lose when he reached out, elbowed Paddy and sent them both sprawling in the plush grass. The bear laughed, and Troy jumped up with his chest pumped out looking proud of himself for a second before he bent to help up his mate. The contact was everything Paddy wanted, lingering, gentle but firm, and Troy smiled as he held his gaze.

“Well look what the cat dragged in,” Nic stood in the door of the cabin, looking refreshed and at least alive, “We got too much energy have we lads?”

And as lovely as the connection was, it snapped as Troy backed quickly away, skirting around Nic to get into the mess hall.

“I’d best git another shirt aye?” Paddy turned, and Nic whistled appreciatively.

“Well fuck me sideways. Either you and Troy have been getting up to something in woods or you’ve left a proper wildcat of a girl back home hey?”

Paddy froze, fingers on the marks Troy’s nails had left in his back. There were bruises on his neck too, he knew it. He blushed.

On the other hand, His brain chipped in, Now would make an excellent time to come out to your co-workers.

“I have nae left anyone behind boss,” Paddy grinned, “And I sure would nae be leavin’ a girl anyways. I’m gay.”

Nic blinked, and shook his head as though to clear it of incoming fog.

“Oh.” He fixed his gaze to a point some six inches above where Paddy was standing, “Right then. Get another shirt on kiddo.”

Well that went down about as well as a bagful of angry crabs… Paddy growled internally as he stomped back to cabin number four. He took a deep breath as he opened the door, half expecting the welcome scent of home and family. What he got instead, was a nose full of Troy, mixed with the his own scent, and that alone was enough to make his recently satisfied libido come back to full wakefulness. It was the strangest thing, the mix of deep earth and high clear snowy mountains. He closed his eyes, almost able to see the shape of the land Troy called home, the place he smelt of, the clan and family who had raised him. The scent was exactly like frost on moss, chill and delicate, but mixed with his own rich peaty aroma became stronger, more robust until it was all he could think off. The clatter of the dinner bell brought him crashing back into reality.

Paddy chose another t-shirt, and grabbed his shapeless grey and yellow hoodie, since it was actually not very warm since he’d finished running. He found his phone in the bottom of his kit bag, and sent one line of text to his parents, just three words.

I found him!!!

*

For lunch, Sean had ‘treated’ the crew to burgers, made up some vegetable kebabs for Alexia and actually managed to score a whole smoked mackerel from another team on site.

“What do you want me to do with it?” Sean asked warily, looking at the fish on his chopping board like it might try and swim off at any moment.

“Damned if I ken,” Paddy shrugged and flopped down into a chair, “I normally eat ‘em ra-” He caught himself and Troy’s warning look just in time, “Ah… I mean mam usually cooks. I cannae cook at all.”

“Right then… with some bread and butter and a bit of salad?” Sean grimaced apologetically at the others, “No chips, we can’t use the ovens at the hub, so you gotta make do on what I can cook on the grill and the gas stove.”

Nic stared at his burger, looking slightly upset.

“I’m not sure I can deal with this yet.” He stood as he spoke, and left the mess hall.

“Why do I get the feeling he wasn’t talking about the food?” Levi asked in a quietly level voice over the top of his lunch.

Paddy made himself busy with licking fish oil off his fingers. Mackerel on toast was fine with him. Troy was watching him carefully from his own burger; the bun and salad lay forgotten on his plate. The big Scot knew his mate had heard what he’d said to Nic, their ears were too good not to have heard, and Paddy could hear the human now, pacing up and down the side of the mess hall, muttering incomprehensibly to himself.

“That was close.” Troy muttered, too low for anyone else to have heard. Paddy sighed to himself. It had been a slip up, already, and it was only their first real day. He had claw marks on his back, love bites on his neck and he’d nearly told everyone they worked with he usually ate fish raw. It was true, and it was the best way to eat a fish, straight from the lake, with fangs and claws. His father always preferred to grill his fish, and thought it rather uncouth and rebellious of his son to eat in his fur when they’d been hunting.

“What’s eating Nic?” Noah asked in his easy unconcerned Canadian manner.

Troy shot Paddy a warning look, but it was already too late to stuff this particular truth back in the closet.

“I told him I’m gay.”

Without a skipping a beat Noah took another bite of his burger and said:

“Good for you. Pass the ketchup bud.”

Paddy thanked whatever spirit was watching over him at that particular moment, and finished eating in silence.

“Don’t worry about it Paddy. He’ll get over it,” Sean laid down his plate, “I’d best go sort him out.”

“You don’t mind that your roommate is gay?” Alexia’s voice was cutting, but Troy didn’t dignify her with an answer, but simply got up and walked out, heading in the direction of the big marquee across the way. Paddy washed up their stuff quickly, nodded to Noah and walked straight into Nic. The shorter man staggered backwards.

“Ach, sorry.”

“It’s fine. Sorry, about earlier.” Nic met his eyes and smiled, “It was just a bit of a shock you know?”

Paddy nodded, he knew he hardly looked the type. Tall, strong, with absolutely no sense of fashion beyond the wearing of traditional Scottish dress, and even then with only a nod to the way human’s tarted themselves up for weddings and celebrations. Plenty of people had been shocked and surprised before.

“And Troy’s cool with it?”

Oh the answers to that question… Paddy wished he could tell his boss, who seemed now much more relaxed, that there was nothing for anyone to worry about. There was no guy on the planet who Paddy would be staring at because he’d found his mate. But he didn’t say any of that.

“Aye.” He nodded, “I’m a go help ‘im set up tha benches ye ken?”

“OK.” Paddy jogged towards the main field, but his ears were sensitive enough to hear what Nic said next, “Does anyone else understand anything he says? Apart from you Canada-boy, you’re impossible to understand half the time too.”

Paddy grinned to himself as he crossed the dusty road to the big marquee. Troy was opening out the folding legs of the slim benches, the larger tables lay ignored, and Paddy could tell from the moment he walked in Troy was not happy. He was tense across the shoulders, and his scent was flavoured with a thread of anger and disappointment.

“Troy?”

The answer was a snarl.

“Babe?”

“Don’t.” Troy froze as Paddy crossed the room. “Patrick.”

Paddy laid a hand on his mate’s shoulder and was instantly pushed back across the wooden floor boards of the marquee.

“I said don’t!”

“Why nae now?” It was hard to believe than an hour ago they had both been sweaty, panting and orgasmic in the woods. “What tha fuck Troy?”

“It’s too hard to be angry with you when you’re touching me.” Troy made no other move to fight him, just returned to opening out the benches.

“Why w’d ye’s want tae be angry wi me?”

“What you said in there,” Apparently Troy couldn’t look at him while he was angry either, “I know you didn’t implicate me, but people are going to suspect it anyway. They’ll see I’m cool with you and I have no interest in either of the girls on the team and they’ll work it out.”

“An why wi that be a bad thing?” Paddy could feel the shape of the answer before Troy even spoken, and wished he hadn’t asked.

“Because I’m not gay! I don’t want to have to go through the rest of my life having to define myself by a sexuality I understand nothing about!”

“But… ye wi me…” The bear’s doubt vanished as anger consumed it. “So ye gonna be off fucking the next pretty girl who walks by are ye?”

Troy snapped around to face him, and he looked physically sick. For less than a fragment of a second, Paddy tried picturing the last guy he’d hooked up with, got as far as the image of them kissing hot and heavy outside the club and his stomach churned. It was nauseating. It was obvious being together was the only thing for either of them.

“Patrick.”

Paddy shivered when Troy said his name, but it wasn’t enough to stop him being angry.

“If you hae such a problem wi ma being a guy, tak it up wi the Great Spirits.”

“Oh not this shit again. It’s like an adult saying they still believe in Father bloody Christmas.” Troy snarled, anger rolling off him in waves.

“Ye cannae be telling me ye’ve niver seen them?”

“What?”

“The Northern lights. Mam always says tha if anyone was loved enough thay become one of the Great Spirits wi’ thay die.”

“It’s a scientific phenomenon caused by energetic particles at high atmosphere. So you don’t believe in science? Evolution? You think the world was created in seven days by a mythical giant man?”

Now it was Paddy’s turn to growl, a low rumble which started in his chest and rose into his throat.

“I can believe in both!” He roared, “I don’t think we just vanish when we die. Our ancestors are up there watching over us, protecting us.”

“Well they didn’t do it very well, did they?” Troy snapped. He rounded on Paddy, pushing the bear backwards with his palms against his chest, “Your Great Spirits weren’t there for me or for my father when we needed them!” He thumped his mate again, and Paddy pulled him closer, wrapped big arms around the tense bundle of anger and energy that was the man he wanted to love. Troy was shaking in his arms, and when the wetness touched his skin, Paddy realised he was crying.

“Troy…” Paddy stroked the tangled hair with his fingers, wishing he had his brush, wishing they were someone safe and alone and away from the imminent interruptions of humans. While you’re wishing, His mind chipped in, Can we be back home in Scotland by the lake with nothing but Salmon and forests for miles? Wrapped up in our fur and able to laze around all day… Paddy sighed. Damn the threat of getting caught, he could tell Troy did not want him to pull away, so he didn’t.

After what seemed like hours Troy snuffled against him, and his skin tensed as he pricked up his ears.

“Noah’s coming.”

“OK.” Paddy whispered into his hair, “You want me to let go?”

“Yes.”

Paddy exhaled and stepped back from his mate, letting his arms fall to his sides. The band around his heart eased off. But he knew there was too much left to talk about to be distracted by the blossoming of what might’ve been love.

“Taenicht,” He said firmly, “We’re gonna stay in tha cabin and talk aye? Talk properly.”

“But…” Troy looked crestfallen. He’d been hoping for what Paddy had originally wanted too, to run in the forest in their fur, explore their other shapes under the stars and the canopy of the pine trees. But this was more important.

“Troy.” And this time, Patrick said his mates name like he owned him, and he felt the string around his heart pull then go quickly slack, and he knew with a confidence he recognised he’d won. Troy was obviously confident in his ability to be dominant, and Paddy though it was about time to show his mate they were going to have to share that position sometimes, because the bear wasn’t going to take it lying down every time.

“You two bothered doing anything in here?” Noah stepped into the big marquee and surveyed the lack of constructed benches, “The kids’ll be arriving in an hour, give us hand here huh?”