Summer Camp - 5. Of Bear and Man

Paddy shifted his weight, looking at his mate. It seemed impossible that thirty six hours ago, he hadn’t even known Troy existed, because he’d already spent so long looking at him as to memorise his features. He was sure if had actually possessed any drawing skills at all, he would have been able to recreate Troy in perfect detail; the long aquiline nose, the sharp ice blue eyes and the distinct shape of each freckle across his cheekbones were as familiar to Paddy as his own fur. It was a strange sort of shock to realise neither of them had seen the other in fur, and that Paddy had listened to his mate’s sad tale with only the barest idea of what a lynx actually looked like. He’d never met one, and to his knowledge, had never seen one on television. Funnily enough nature programs weren’t high on his list of priorities. He already knew Troy didn’t know what a spectacled bear was.

“Change for me in here?” He asked warily.

“Yes. I mean, can you? You’re not going to smash through the walls or anything right?” Troy giggled slightly, and had Paddy known him better he would have noticed his mate was nervous.

“Nae laddie, we’re actually quite small, as bears go.” He coughed into his hand, “Yer mit want tae let me get up though eh?”

“Oh, sorry.” Troy removed himself from his lap, and sat down on the mattress as Paddy stood up. The big man started to remove his clothes and stared as Troy let out a contented sighed, “Patrick…”

Paddy glanced down at himself; the smooth slightly yellow-tan skin, the almost total lack of body hair to speak of, the way his chest heaved with his now racing heart. Being naked and being near Troy produced an inevitable reaction and Troy’s eyes widened.

“Jesus… the size of that. I’m sort of glad we didn’t do things the other way around.”

Paddy realised he was growling only when he stopped.

“You want to?”

“Do I want tae fuck ye?” Paddy made his words as unmistakeable as possible, “Aye. I do. About as much as ye want tae fuck me I guess.”

“Oh,” Troy looked puzzled, and a little crestfallen, “I always thought it was kind of one or the other you know?”

Paddy smiled, and leant down to kiss Troy’s stubbled cheek.

“We call it bein’ versatile. I liek both ways. Sorta banking on you lieking it tae.” Paddy rolled his shoulders, “We can talk abou’it later babe.”

He stepped back, making sure there wasn’t anything around where he was, or was going to be, and exhaled. Paddy had always felt that his change was like a special kind of breathing. To allow every last bit of oxygen to leave him, exhaling until he was nearly dizzy before breathing in through different nostrils. Light flooded through him, sort of green and moss flavoured, until the Scot settled onto his front paws and stared across at his lover.

“Ohh…” Troy reached out towards him and then drew back his hand quickly, “Can I?”

“Huurnt.” Paddy rumbled softly. He rubbed his head into Troy’s lap as the other shifter touched his thick velvet fur. It was the most delicious sensation to have Troy trace the white mask which echoed the shape of his skull with his fingers. Paddy rumbled in his lap, watching him with wide chocolate eyes.

“You’re beautiful,” Troy’s fingers moved over his little dish like ears as they swivelled and giggled, “And big. I thought you said that spectacled bears were small?”

“Wrur wrool.” Paddy replied, knowing Troy wouldn’t really be able to understand him.

“I dunno why they call them spectacles. Looks like a cool mask really.” Troy dug fingers in behind his ear and began to scratch in his fur happily, “You’re fur is sooo soft.”

Paddy smiled, laying back his ear against his head. He knew well enough the way he looked as a bear, and his mum said he was a handsome one too. His mask marked him out as different from his cousins and his mother’s family for sure. A pair of large elongated rings around each eye, the patterns drawn out on his temples, stretching towards his ears, met in the centre and spread down his nose and into a point under his muzzle. His black nose in the centre of the mask completed the picture which made him distinct and skull-like. His father’s rings made him look like a wise old man wearing a pince-nez.

When Troy doubled over to kiss the top of his muzzle, Paddy felt his heart stop in his chest. It was so private and personal that every touch felt as though Troy’s fingers were stroking his heart and his soul and the centre of his arousal all at once. It was the most confusing and all-consuming sensation, even stronger than the desire to mate had been. Paddy nuzzled against the young man, before taking a step back and sitting up on his hind legs.

“OK, now I feel short. Not fair.” Troy slipped off the bed and walked right into his arms. Apart from his parents, and other members of his direct family, he’d never been hugged by a human when wearing his fur before, and somehow Troy still fitted perfectly in the soft space of his chest and belly, tucking in under his arm to breathe into his thick ruff. Paddy snorted happily.

It felt strange to be wearing fur indoors and walking on the wooden floorboard rather than to be out by the lake in the grass or on the shore with its round stones. Paddy wanted to walk out there under the thick pine trees and sniff at the damp earth, inhale the scents of the forest, listen to the birds and the rabbits and the deer. Back home, he’d wander in the forest and have conversations with owls and deer that knew him, had seen him grown up from a cub. The ravens would caw his name in welcome when he got home from school while the fish eagle reeled overhead. He was overwhelmed with missing home.

Why did I decide to leave again? Paddy sighed, pushing himself against his mate, needing the connection to the other shifter when he thought of his mother in her vegetable garden with his grandmother, his grandfather’s happy roar when Paddy would come around the corner and they’d wrestle on the grass before tearing huge pumpkins apart with their claws, eating the thick sweet flesh of the fruit raw. His mum always tutted and sighed over the mess they made, but Paddy didn’t care. Troy stroked his muzzle and brought him back to the here and now. You came so you could find him, so the Great Spirits could bring you to each other.

Troy hugged him tight, and Paddy took the opportunity to pull the smaller man against his broad chest and rock backwards until he was lying on his back with Troy on top of him, wrapped in his arms.

“Whoa…” Troy relaxed, “God you’re comfy. Can I just sleep here?”

“Hoaw wroou.”

“You’re funny.” Troy tickled him under the chin and Paddy snuffled and shook his head. “OK, so no tickling?”

He missed home, but home was a place full of happiness. It was easy to imagine Troy being there, feeling short and being surrounded by everything Paddy loved and everyone he was loved by. The bear couldn’t imagine losing anyone, least of all his father, and in such an awful way. It was no wonder Troy didn’t want to believe in the great spirits.

Oh Greats Spirits, He thought soundlessly, wishing he could be looking up at the dancing lights instead of the ceiling, Thank you Emil, thank you for bringing me your son to love. I promise I will keep him safe and adored forever. It was like Troy knew what he was thinking, because he kissed his muzzle and Paddy could have sworn the other man’s eyes glowed more blue in that moment.

“Do you want…” Troy looked unsure for a small moment, “Shall I join you?”

“Hrrun!” Paddy hoped his vigorous nod was unmistakable. He wanted to feel Troy’s fur against his own, rub up against the cat and know his mate properly for the first time.

Troy sat up on his chest. There was a sensation of heat, a certain amount of lightening, and Troy melted away like a glacier speeded up through eons to reveal the cat sitting on Paddy’s chest, as neat and perfect as a statue, only much, much more beautiful. He regarded Paddy with his round ice blue eyes, and mewled softly as hissuddenly discarded clothing slithered to the floor

Paddy wasn’t sure if all Lynx’s had such thick and lustrous fur or such wide piercing eyes, but he doubted that any of them other than his mate were as extraordinarily beautiful. Troy was wearing his summer coat, which was russet red like the back of an oak leaf in the autumn, and decorated with many dark black spots and slashes. His long tipped ears flicked backwards and forwards before he laid his head on paddy’s chest and began to purr like an oncoming freight train. There was a pattern of little spots over his muzzle, just where his freckles had been.

The bear raised one paw to touch his mate, and carefully, mindful of his strong powerful claws, stroked from his head and down to his short bobbed tail. The lynx rumbled in his chest before pushing his head into Paddy’s paw again. Paddy wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, lying against each other in their fur, enjoying company in silence broken only by purring and the soft snuffles of Paddy’s muzzle. He could imagine running in the forest, chasing the comparatively little cat through the trees as Troy would climb them to avoid him. They could run and laugh and play in the snow in the winter.

Except that at no point had either of them mentioned what was going to happen at the end of the summer. It seemed such a long time away, they’d known each other two days, but paddy was certain sure he would follow the lynx anywhere he went even if it meant he would never see his family again. Just the thought of never seeing his father, mother, his grandparents… Not being surrounded by the tangible love of his extended family was enough to make him shudder. Troy mewled and licked his muzzle and it was as though a thousand more cobweb fine strands had been thrown into the link that bonded them. He couldn’t tell what Troy was thinking; only that it meant love and concern, peace and happiness.

Neither of them really took account of how long they lay there, but eventually Troy mewled and stretched, elongating spine and neck, yawning hugely as he flexed and extended his claws. Paddy roared in surprise and pain, twisted around and snapped at the cat who had, in defiance of all probability as it applied to every animal except felines, landed four square on his feet. The lynx didn’t reach his shoulders, and suddenly seemed much smaller when he was on the floor. He snapped his teeth, and shook himself, flicking his long tipped ears forwards, bob tail pushed down over his backside. It had been an accidental gesture, annoying but not truly painful, and Paddy huffed as he sat, brushing his paw over his chest. He wasn’t bleeding or anything, but that didn’t stop Troy rolling his neck, and then he was melting upwards like a candle in reverse as he shifted back into his human skin.

“Sorry Paddy,” His slim hand joined Paddy’s paw on his chest, “Did I hurt you?”

“Fruww woor.” Paddy shook his head before pushing his cold damp nose against his lover’s naked skin. Troy in all shapes was fascinating, but naked and human and sporting a semi was particularly intriguing to the big bear with his expressive features. Paddy snuffled and sniffed down his body, filling his nostrils with the clear ice and pine scent that was so distinct he had no idea how he had not known about it before. Troy blushed under his freckles and that made Paddy very happy indeed.

“No… Babe…” But Troy’s protests against his cold nose and warm breath were less than half-hearted as he stood and let the bear explore his body. Paddy pushed his rough wet tongue against one nipple and growled in delight at Troy’s squeak of alarm and surprise. His mate was a cat through and through, and his tightly muscled body was delightful to explore. He was hairy, which had never been Paddy’s usual choice in bed partners, not that he minded in the slightest. When he finally settled back onto his front paws, he found Troy’s pink well-proportioned cock sticking straight up towards his navel. Troy covered himself, inadequately, with his hand and Paddy brushed his fingers away, snuffling and sniffing at the darker, muskier scent of the man he might just love. Troy’s fingers were stroking the hair of his head and his ruff as he gasped at the new sensations.

“Oh Patrick,” The way he said the bear’s name still made the big beast shiver with delight, “Oh no, please… I don’t… unghh…”

Paddy pushed his muzzle right alongside Troy’s burgeoning member and rumbled to himself. Troy did sound much like he couldn’t make up his mind what he wanted, his words were all confused, but his tone and his body language were incredibly clear. He was hard, he was panting, his pulse racing along in his chest and he desired the bear, whether or not he admitted it to himself. Paddy licked him gently, lapping his tongue around the tip of Troy’s cock until the man was curled over his head, hands running wildly through the thick fur of his neck and shoulders, keening and whining and moaning in his ear.

“Oh god above…” Troy’s words were high pitched and nearly incomprehensible. Paddy licked him again then nosed into the warm soft space behind his balls, “Fuck!”

There was the not infinitesimal desire to simply open his maw and surround Troy with heat and undulating pleasure, but he’d never attempted to give anyone a blowjob as a bear before. He’d never really done anything sexual as a bear at all. He sighed into Troy’s skin and with another greenish mossy glow sunk back into his skin, and instantly swallowed his mate’s erection. Troy snarled and gasped, his fingers now wrapped around Paddy’s skull as he sucked.

“OhnoPaddypleasedon’t…” His words ran together, indecipherable as Paddy sat back on his heels, pulling Troy with him until the lynx was off balance and could only rely on gripping Paddy’s shoulder with vice like fingers to keep from falling. Paddy moaned in pleasure, and Troy came. It was quick and practically soundless, but Troy was gasping and whimpering, all his muscles tense as he flowed into Paddy’s mouth. He tasted hot, wet, salty; like sea spray on lichen covered rocks. Paddy’s chest rumbled.

Troy collapsed against him, boneless and sagging, and they gently slid into a heap on the floor.

“Hmm…” Troy nuzzled his neck gently, “Oh fuck that’s fantastic…”

Paddy nuzzled the top of his mate’s head. Troy’s stubble was already scratching his shoulder below his collarbone.

“Yer gonna wear holes in all me shirts babe,” Paddy found his free arm and stroked through Troy’s silken hair and down the furrow of his spine, “Yer beautiful ye ken?”

“I don’t think another man has ever called me beautiful before,” Troy sounded equally parts sleepy-satisfied and awake-curious, “But then I guess you’ll be doing lots of things no other man has ever done before right?”

“Aye, tha sounds aboot right.” Paddy peered over his reclining lover to watch his own erection bob up and down impatiently along with his pulse. He cleared his throat without thinking about it, and Troy looked up, then down, and up again with a slightly panicked and rather guilty expression.

“I… This is going to sound really awful and mean and creepy.”

“You dannae want ta.” Paddy half snapped, but his brain had snagged on the ‘and creepy’. “Sorry. Babe?”

“I want to,” Troy took a deep breathe, “Give you a blow job I mean. But I’ve never done it before and I want to be good at it.”

“OK.”

“Right now I’m so sleepy you could just pour me into a bowl. I wanna try when I’m awake properly. And… oh this is gonna sound really weird.”

Paddy smiled softly and kissed Troy’s blond locks.

“Go ahae an be weird then. I dannae think thar’s anything ye couldnae say ta me.”

Troy arched an eyebrow.

“Obviously we’re goin’ tae fight aboot stuff. Talk tae me Troy.”

“I want to watch you, umm…” Troy exhaled in a rush, “You’re fascinating and I’ve never been with guys and I kinda wanted to watch you, see what you like, and I dunno, I sound fucking creepy even to myself.”

“Ye want tae watch me come?” Paddy chuckled, “Oh babe tha’s nae creepy. Tha’s hot.”

“Really?” Troy frowned, and Paddy poked one finger at the furrow between his brows, “Oh.”

“Say it fer me then. Go on.” The Scot beamed. His palm was resting on his hip already, and his dick twitched in anticipation. Sure, it would have been perhaps more awesome to have the slimmer man in his arms touching him, but the mere idea that Troy wanted to watch, maybe learn something, and see him come was incredibly exciting. He forced his breath to slow down.

“I want to watch you jerk off for me Patrick.” Troy’s voice was all command and stern, and Paddy shivered as he wrapped his fingers around his cock. Every guy, man bear or otherwise, knows exactly what they like, and Paddy was no different as he used his thumb to rub small circles just underneath the head of his dick, squeezing the shaft as he began to jerk himself in long slow movements. “Oh fucking hell that’s hot…”

Troy was curled over his chest, their heartbeats thumping against each other, Paddy’s increasing momentum in contrast to Troy’s low and lazy pulse. Troy tickled his fingers over Paddy’s chest and abs, never quite touching, but always slightly making contact as the big man began to masturbate himself in earnest. He growled between gritted teeth, then gasped as troy kissed him, catching his breath, his chest heaving for want to oxygen while is hand sped up with the sensation. Troy seemed fascinated by the vision of Paddy’s cock vanishing and reappearing from his fist, but he broke his line of vision to whisper in his mate’s ear between glances back down at his crotch.

“I don’t think I ever told you that you were beautiful Patrick.” Paddy shivered, teeth in his lower lip as he touched himself. “I think I might love watching you do that…” His slim fingers tickled down as far as Paddy’s navel, drawing patterns on the ridges of his abs. Paddy growled. He wanted to keep going, wanted Troy to touch him, kiss him, anything, because going on was torture, and the idea of stopping was doubly so. His thighs were tense with desire and lust and the overpowering need to come and come now, to please his mate, to pleasure himself. It was primal and base and instinctual and such a fucking turn on.

“Ugnhhh…. Troy!” Paddy could barely focus, but was hyper aware of his mate watching him, the big blue eyes searing into his flesh. The fact that he was lying on the wooden floor, jerking himself off for the man he loved was somehow totally right and good, even if he couldn’t explain why.

You love him… gosh that was quick. But paddy’s inner voice was drowned out by Troy’s sweet soft whispering in his ear as he touched lower on Paddy’s abs, his fingers perilously close to his cock, and yet so far away.

“Keep going… oh god you’re hot as hell Paddy. Go on, come for me, I wanna watch you shoot…”

It was more than Paddy needed, and his free hand gripped Troy’s narrow waist as his muscles tensed. Troy was just quick enough, and he touched the slit of Paddy’s cock with two fingers as he came. Paddy couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sight of his mate touching him as he came, and panted hard as he flowed out. Troy stared at him too, equally fascinated and entranced by the beauty and the strangeness of the situation. But Paddy knew his mate hadn’t lied. He wasn’t sure that they were actually able to lie to each other. Regardless of his ‘not gay’ status Troy had genuinely enjoyed watching him. His head met the floor with a thud, and he winced.

“Wow…” Troy was staring at his fingers, sticky with Paddy’s come, with a sort of wondered expression. “What does it taste like?”

“E’ryone is different. Can taste weird a’ first. Ye taste awesome.”

“I do?” Troy looked surprised.

“Aye bonnie lad, yer do.”

“Huh…”

It was without a shadow of a doubt the sexiest thing Paddy had ever seen as his mate touched his sperm coated fingers to his lips, and licked the digits experimentally. His eyes dilated so far it was like the sun was shining from the dim forty watt bulb overhead.

“Oh…” Troy was smiling, his skin tinted pink under his freckles.

Paddy stopped drawing distracted patterns on his abdomen and sighed.

“As lovely as this is, I better go an’ get cleaned up. An’ the floor is nae as comfy as it seemed last night aye?”

Troy snuggled him, and the sensation was delicious.

“No, I want to stay here.”

“On tha floor?” Paddy rumbled, “The floor ye wi rather cover in muddy boots? Ach nae, that’s a step tae far. Ci’mon.” The big Scot made it to his feet before turning to haul Troy upright by brute force. He sat his mate back on the bed and grabbed the roll of his great kilt. “Two minutes, I’ll be ri’ back.”

When he’d first had the breacan-an-feileadh made, his parents had both thought he was totally nuts, but Paddy has been sure he knew best. The twenty metre roll of cloth had served him well often. It was widely believed highlanders had lain out the cloth on a handy bit of dry flat ground, Like such a thing ever existed, Paddy thought, then folded the pleats and lain down to belt it up. His great kilt had thin loops woven into the fabric every eight inches through which he ran a cord, shook the kilt to level it out before belting the plaid around his waist. He pulled the loose fabric over his shoulder, and took one last look at the sleepy bundle of his mate before ducking out of the door.

A quick dash, there and back again, and he was naked already and slipping into bed in the dark behind Troy. The cat snarled.

“Go use your own bed.”

“This is my bed.” Paddy chuckled, and went to run his fingers through his mate’s soft hair, but found Troy sitting up, looking grumpy in the dark.

“Fine, fine…” He went to slip from the mattress and Paddy grabbed his wrist. “Let go.”

“Babe?”

“We can’t sleep in the same bed Paddy.”

“Wi the hell nae?” Paddy frowned. “Two minutes ago ye were licking me off yer fingers.”

“What if someone sees?” Troy hissed, “What if Nic comes to wake everyone in the morning?”

“The door does lock babe, do’ nae worry yerself aboot it.”

“But-”

“But nothin’,” Paddy pulled Troy down onto his chest, “Yer staying here. I’m nae having ye sleeping ten feet away all night.”

“Fine,” Troy sounded resigned to the fact that this was an argument he wasn’t going to win, and settled his head down on paddy’s shoulder, “Noah wasn’t lying about the beds was he?”

“Apparently nae. I’ll sort something out tomorrae babe.”

“A bear with a side of seamstress? This I have to see.”

“Hush babe,” Paddy dragged his big quilt over them both. Unconsciously, his fingers traced the outline of the stitching which made up the shape of the mountains back home. Oh to be back home with him in my arms… It was nearly painful to imagine, but that didn’t stop paddy from holding onto the image in his mind, if only for the space of several heartbeats. Troy snuggled into him, tucking himself into the curve of Paddy’s side, his head pressed over the big bear’s heart. His stubble was itchy, but paddy figured he’s already won one fight today and let it go. For now, there was nothing better to do than lie in the dark and breathe in the scent of his mate. Just for now, everything was alright with the world.