Clueless Camping - 17. Brotherly love

I let Jacob, Chris and Tor talk and dragged Evan over to the next bench. I wanted a quick word with him.

“I think we shouldn’t tease Kristin about Tor.”

“Why not?” I could almost see all the mischief Evan was planning in his eyes and face.

“What if they have a chance of falling in love? We might ruin it by teasing, because Kristin will get all defensive and cold. You know she will,” I pleaded.

“You’re sweet, Russ, but just because you fell in love with a blond Viking, it doesn’t follow she will too. She might flirt and break his heart again. Wouldn’t it be better if they didn’t get along, or were only polite acquaintances?”

“Do you really think he was in love with her five years ago?”

Evan shrugged. “I don’t know, perhaps he was only miffed she ignored him.”

“Pretty difficult to ignore him now.” We both looked over to where Tor was emitting another booming laugh at something Chris or Jacob had said. Behind them we could see Kristin approaching. When Evan was going to stand up, I put a hand on his arm. “Let’s wait and see what happens.”

“But—”

“En, please,” I begged in a whisper. He rolled his eyes but stayed put.

Because Jacob and Chris were facing us, Tor was the first to spot Kristin approaching. I imagined his face lighting up in a huge grin as he shouldered his way past our fiancés and strode towards her with a delighted “Kristin! Wonderful to see you again.”

At my side, Evan worked hard to suppress a giggle as he whispered, “Oh my God, the look on her face! Priceless.”

Indeed the surprise and consternation on our normally so calm and collected sister’s face was something to behold. She seemed to greet Tor pleasantly, but we couldn’t hear what she said. When he turned and walked towards us next to her, I was the one to suppress a laugh at his beaming face. Yup, Tor was more than politely happy to meet Kristin again.

“Fine, you win. I won’t tease them,” Evan sighed. We looked at each other, and I winked at him. “But when it’s over, either way, I’m not holding back.”

“Of course not,” I agreed. We stood up and joined the others. Tor was explaining his new name, and Kristin asked if he was part of the ceremonial Horse Guards.

“No, I wanted to join the professional army. After I finished the first nine months of training, I signed a five-year contract. In 2011, I transferred to the newly established 2^nd armored infantry battalion.”

Jacob laughed. “Guess what their crest and motto are?”

Tor punched his shoulder. “I’ve told you a thousand times, this had nothing to do with my decision.”

“So you say. Their crest has Thor’s hammer and lightning, and their motto is something like ‘Be lightning fast in action’ which suits my snappy friend perfectly.”

“The motto isn’t just ours, but belongs to the whole Gardehusar Regiment,” Tor retorted with uncharacteristic irritation, but when Jacob grinned and said ‘See, snappy,’ his best friend started to laugh and we all joined him.

Meanwhile, Kristin must have been doing some arithmetic in her head. “You said you signed a five-year contract. Has this ended or did you sign a new one?”

Tor nodded and then shook his head. “No, I’ve done my part. I’ve gone on three deployments, and when I got home from Helmand in February, I decided not to sign up again. I’ve been on holiday since July 1^st and had looked forward to catching up with Jacko here.” He aimed another good-natured punch at my boyfriend, who glared at him. I got the feeling it was due to the nickname more than the huge fist which he dodged with ease.

“But he had taken off into the blue, totally incommunicado, and not even Jens and Dicte knew where he was. Until suddenly, wham! Out of the blue he turns up on Facebook saying he’s gonna get hitched to this foxy boy.”

I couldn’t help flinching as Tor’s gaze landed on me. Was he pissed because I had prevented him from spending time with Jacob? Even after we had come back to Copenhagen, they hadn’t seen each other, although I knew they had spoken on the phone.

“I’m sorry,” I began, but Jacob immediate pulled me into a hug and put his finger on my lips.

“You’ve nothing to apologize for, Russ.”

“Of course not,” Tor exclaimed. “Hell, you’ve made my best friend happier than I’ve seen him in years, and if eloping and going camping together does the trick, I might consider the method myself. I’m glad you came to Denmark and won his heart, Russell.”

Looking at this man’s open and honest face I knew he meant every word, and I wanted to hug him. But I settled for a happy smile which almost rivaled Tor’s. He beamed at me, but then his eyes slid back to Kristin.

“But of course I’m even more grateful since you coming here also brought this charming young lady back into my life. Please allow me to escort you to wherever we’re going?”

He stepped over and offered his arm and Kristin only hesitated a moment before taking it and awarding Tor’s gallantry with an almost-shy smile. I immediately sent my twin a stern look and he rolled his eyes behind her back, but stayed silent. I nudged Jacob who was staring at his best friend like he didn’t believe his own eyes.

“What’s the plan?” Chris asked, and I wanted to kiss him in gratitude for getting things going and giving me a lead. I quickly spoke up.

“I’m sorry, but I still feel a bit queasy after the 3D movie, and my legs are hurting after this morning. Could we go somewhere I can rest a bit?”

“We can go to my place,” Tor immediately said. “Watch a film, talk, get some food and drink, whatever you want.” He looked down at Kristin as if waiting for her decision. It was pretty obvious he wanted to impress her, but I wasn’t sure what his motives were. Perhaps he was simply eager to be around – civilian – women after years in the military?

“That sounds good, Tor. I’ve been sightseeing and shopping with Mom and Benedicte all day, and my feet are getting rather sore. I understand you live nearby.”

“Yes, less than ten minutes away.” He gestured and they took the lead, with Jacob and I following, and Chris and Evan bringing up the rear.

“Sorry about the movie making you sick.” Jacob kept his arm around my shoulders and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Nah, it’s OK, you couldn’t have known. I didn’t even know it would happen, and I enjoyed most of the show. I just need to sit down for a bit and something cold to drink, and I’ll be fine.”

“Are you feeling dizzy like before you fainted?”

“Huh? No, no, nothing like that!” I couldn’t believe he was still worrying about my silly little panic attack.

“You haven’t told anyone, have you? I’d be so embarrassed. It’s nothing to worry about.”

Jacob frowned, but shook his head and said he hadn’t mentioned it apart from when we met Chris and Evan in the airport. This was OK, because I’d told my twin too, and at least he hadn’t freaked out.

“Why don’t you spend some time with Tor when Evan and I go dancing on Thursday?”

“I love you, Russ.” My fiancé stopped and pulled me in for a long kiss. We had gone down some shallow steps to a small square by the road at the end of the lake. Tor and Kristin were waiting for us by the pedestrian crossing at the other end of the row of parked cars, still engrossed in their own conversation.

“I love you too, but what made you say it now?”

“You’re concerned about the feelings of people around you and care about them being happy.”

“So do you, Jacob.” I didn’t think I was any better than him, or other people.

“No, I’m quite selfish. I care about your feelings and your happiness, more than anything else, because you love me…” another kiss “…which makes me the luckiest guy in the world.” I was the one to snog him now.

“Come on, lovebirds,” Tor yelled at us, and Evan snickered next to me. He and Chris had caught up and were grinning at us, when we came out of the last heartfelt kiss.

We walked over to join Kristin and Tor just as the light changed to green, and the whole group crossed the road and then the small side street which led to a building standing on arches across the road.

“It’s a theatre,” Tor said when he noticed our interest, or rather Kristin looking at the unusual structure with a spiky crown atop a dome and the golden inscription ‘Det Ny Teater’ across the façade.

“They usually do musicals or productions with dancing in elaborate settings,” Jacob added. “Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, West Side Story, you name it.”

We kept walking and Kristin was telling Tor about shows she had seen in New York. Our route took us via a narrow street with a number of specialty shops down to a busy road. Crossing it we walked a few blocks and turned into a side street with pastel-colored apartment buildings, which were probably built at the turn of the last century. Tor led us to one of them and said. “This is where I live, at least for now.” I wondered if he rented an apartment, the way Jacob did, but refrained from asking.

His apartment was on the fourth floor, it was well-kept with wooden floors, three sparsely furnished rooms filled with light and air, a surprisingly clean and uncluttered kitchen, and a nice bathroom with new facilities. I wondered whether Tor had tidied and cleaned in honor of Kristin, but when I whispered my theory to Jacob he shook his head.

“Tor was always fairly tidy, but his stint in the military has made him fastidious about order and cleanliness. He hates clutter, that’s why he doesn’t have a lot of furniture.”

Luckily Tor’s dislike of furniture didn’t extend to comfortable couches and chairs. Soon, I was lying on one half of a huge corner sofa, with my head on Jacob’s lap. Evan had disappeared into the bathroom and Chris was in the kitchen with Kristin and our host, getting drinks and snacks.

“Tor’s rather keen on your sister. Do you mind?” Jacob’s voice was low, and I answered the same way.

“No, it’s cute, but I’m not sure she feels the same, and they don’t really know each other. Even if she does grow to like him, she’s leaving on Sunday.”

“I know. I’ve tried to warn him, but he’s stubborn as hell. I can’t help worrying, especially because I won’t be here.”

“Is…is he OK? I mean, after being on military missions.” Even I had heard about PTSD and soldiers in the U.S. having a hard time returning to a normal life. I assumed the same thing applied to Danish troops going to Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Yeah, I think so. The Danish military has learned from their mistakes in the nineties, and soldiers are debriefed properly now and offered counseling and stuff. Tor seems quite well-balanced and he hasn’t shown any personality change – except getting more mature and dismissive of unimportant stuff.”

We stopped talking as our host came into the room together with everyone else. Tor had fetched a bottle of water for me as soon as we arrived, but now he offered me a choice of soda or beer. I chose a Coke and he served it in a glass with ice cubes and a slice of lemon. Kristin and Chris were already holding glasses of white wine.

“So, what are you going to do with your life, now you’ve left the military?” my sister asked Tor. I made sure not to look at Evan in case we got the giggles over Kristin doing a ‘potential boyfriend’ interview of Jacob’s best friend.

“I haven’t decided yet. My dream is to become a bodyguard, but I may have to settle for some sort of security guard. I’ve applied to Copenhagen Airport and a few other places for a job. The airport is best, because they provide on-the-job training, but they prefer people with experience from travel agencies or other customer service positions.”

“Oooohh, I wouldn’t mind being patted down by Thor the Hunky Wargod during security checks,” Evan stage-whispered to Chris. I stole a look at Kristin who pretended she hadn’t heard. Tor grinned and raised his beer to my twin.

“Your jobs as bartender and bouncer might count,” Jacob said. “And surely your ability to keep a cool head in stressful situations is a plus too.”

“Yeah, we’ll see. It’s OK if I have to work for six months or a year in one of the airport shops or bars. I’m young and only responsible for myself, so I can afford to wait for the right opportunity. I’ve saved up, and I might do some traveling in between.”

“You could visit us in Chicago,” I suggested. “We’ll be there by Christmas time.”

“Isn’t it cold and snowy in Chicago at that time of year? I might prefer New York or San Francisco.”

“New York around Christmas can be fantastic in spite of the crowds,” Kristin told him.

“Will you and Isa be there for Christmas Eve? We could join you for the traditional Danish celebration.” Chris took both Evan and me by surprise, although I think by now my twin ought to know how considerate his husband-to-be is. Like Jacob he did everything he could to make us happy. Evan’s reaction showed he succeeded; he flung himself into Chris’ lap and kissed him.

“That would be so awesome. I would love to celebrate Christmas with you and my family. Maybe we could go to New York a few days early and do some sightseeing and shopping?”

I looked up at my fiancé and whispered, “I would like that too.”

“It sounds good to me, but where would we stay? Kristin, do you have room for us all or should we find a hotel?” Jacob said.

“No, I only have a tiny, rented studio apartment. Mom can stay with me, but the rest of you would have to find accommodations elsewhere. I have a couple of colleagues who leave the city for Christmas; I could ask them if they would let you stay at their apartments.”

“Me too?” Tor asked, and when Kristin nodded he gave her that beaming smile which turned him from good-looking to devastatingly handsome. From the slight pink tinge of her cheeks I think my sister agreed. From there the talk went on to her life in the Big Apple and stories about our camping trip and how Evan and Chris met. At some point I fell asleep, as the long day caught up with me.

***

I was woken by a kiss and Jacob shaking my shoulder gently. “Time to wake up, Russ. The food is ready.”

“Mmmm, oh, sorry. How long did I sleep?”

“Nothing to be sorry about. You’ve been out for about an hour. It’s only eight o’clock, so there’s plenty of evening left.”

I yawned and sat up. We were alone, but I could hear voices in the kitchen.

“So, what’s for dinner?”

“Indian take-away. Evan told us what you like.”

“Sounds good. I need the bathroom, and then I’ll join you.”

Jacob kissed me again and soon we were sitting around Tor’s kitchen table eating and talking. I noticed Kristin had none of the dismissive behavior which she had displayed when Jacob’s best friend had been mentioned the previous days. While I didn’t think she was falling in love, she certainly reacted positively to the attention Tor was paying her. Maybe it was because he acted like a confident man and not an eager puppy, or perhaps because Chris treated Tor like an equal?

Being the oldest and very much an experienced man-of-the-world Chris somehow dominated his surroundings in the way we were used to seeing Father do. It was subtle and, in contrast to our father, never condescending, but we all deferred to Chris one way or another when he provided information or voiced his opinion. In return, he listened, encouraged and gave due respect, and tonight Tor and Kristin were the main recipients. I guess he was trying to get to know them better, since he had already spent time with Jacob and me. No matter what, Tor was included in the group of people, who had Chris’ approval and regard, and this fact was not lost on Kristin.

At some point during the conversation, Evan dragged me into the living room ‘to discuss dancing.’ We did talk a bit about our lessons and the clothes he wanted us to get. But soon my perceptive twin snuggled up to me in the corner of the sofa and whispered, “So, how was it?”

“How was what?”

“Duh! Having your cherry popped, of course!”

“Ssshhh! How did you know?”

“Please! I’m your twin, your other half, Russ! Of course I know. Besides, Jacob no longer looks at you like he’s desperate to fuck you.”

“He…he doesn’t?” A small cold knot of dread started to develop in my guts.

“No, he looks like a deliriously happy pussycat who has tasted the biggest fucking bowl of yummy, addictive cream and can’t wait to plunge back into Paradise on Earth.”

Evan’s smirk didn’t waver when I smacked his arm and told him to shut up. Maybe the happy grin on my face told him I loved his elaborate description. He poked me and giggled and I hit him again. After a bit of wheedling I gave in and told him what had happened the night before. When I described how I had lost my virginity the second time round, Evan giggled again.

“Ohhh, he did a lap dance for you. Or maybe pole dance would be a better term.”

“He did what?” I tried to ask, but Evan was laughing so hard he couldn’t reply.

“Evan, pull yourself together! What are you talking about?”

By the time my evil twin had explained I was blushing so hard I wanted to stick my head in a bucket of ice water. He not only told me what a lap dance was, including a description of one he had done for Chris, but also what pole dancing was officially, and his alternate application of the term for the intimate show Jacob had performed on me. Naturally both of us got hard and horny, Evan from the memory of how the lap dance caused ‘Chris to fuck me into the mattress making me come twice,’ and me from imagining Jacob’s reaction to a similar lap dance.

Apart from all the naughty stuff Evan was pleased to hear his advice on the practical side had been useful. He was even happier to learn I had an awesome experience and that Jacob was a great lover.

“It’s a relief to hear you had such a wonderful first time, Russ. I know there’s more to a relationship than sex, but I think it’s important to be compatible in bed. Plus feeling wanted and sexy does a lot for your self-confidence.”

I knew Evan was talking about both of us, and I hugged him. “Yeah, Jacob makes me feel loved and I’m glad Chris does the same for you.”

We sat quietly with our arms around each other, enjoying the closeness, until Tor stuck his head into the living room and told us the blueberry pie and ice cream were ready. He laughed heartily when this sent us scrambling for the kitchen.

Around 11 pm I started wilting again and Jacob suggested we go home. Evan immediately said he was tired too, and I think he meant it.

“How will you get back, Kristin? There’re no busses at this time of night.”

At Jacob’s question, Tor looked a little sad, but Kristin’s reply had him sitting up straight.

“I’ll take a cab later. I don’t think it’s fair to leave Tor with all the clearing up to do.” It wasn’t that bad but all of us pretended her excuse was perfectly reasonable.

“The main railway station isn’t far away, and there’re always taxis waiting. I can walk you up there,” he offered.

“Sounds like a good idea. Why don’t we do the same, Jacob? We can drop you off on the way to our hotel,” Chris suggested. Evan and I turned pleading eyes to my boyfriend, hoping he would agree, since a warm taxi sounded a lot better than waiting for trains.

“If we’re lucky, we can wave a taxi down on Vesterbrogade, and then we won’t have to walk all the way to Hovedbanegården.” Jacob smiled at us, and I squeezed his hand in gratitude. Tor nodded to show he concurred with his best friend.

Of course, none of us knew what those Danish names meant, but I guessed the last one was the main station. We said goodbye to Kristin and Tor, and Jacob confirmed their plans to meet up on Thursday morning, ‘Medmindre der kommer noget i vejen. Send mig en sms, okay?’[1]

We did actually get a taxi very soon after turning into the main road. Jacob sat with Evan and me in the back seat. We both leaned our heads on his shoulders. When we were almost at Christianshavn Torv, my twin gave a sleepy giggle.

“So, what are the odds Kristin won’t need a taxi?”

“Pretty good,” I blurted out.

Short silence.

“Is it OK to tease her now, Russ?”

“No, En, you’ll have to wait till you get home.”

“Aaawww, shucks.”

“Listen to your brother, babe. He’s quite right,” Chris said. His validation gave me a warm, pleased feeling. Before Evan could reply we arrived outside our apartment building and Jacob and I got out, while saying our farewells.

Once we got inside, Jacob asked, “Why does Evan want to tease Kristin? And why won’t you let him? Can’t she take a bit of teasing?”

“It’s more for Tor’s sake than hers. I like your friend; he’s a nice guy. I’m glad he’ll be your best man.”

“Thanks, but what does that have to do with teasing Kristin?”

“In case Tor likes her the way Evan says he did five years ago. If we tease Kristin she might get pissed and decide to ignore him.”

“I think he does…what’s the expression…? Carry a torch for her. But it would be difficult for anything serious to develop. She’s leaving on Sunday.”

“Yeah, but it shouldn’t be Evan’s teasing which ruined Tor’s chances, or Kristin’s.”

“You’re a considerate brother, Russ. And I also appreciate you caring about Tor. I certainly wouldn’t mind having him as my brother-in-law. But more importantly, I don’t want him to get a broken heart.”

As we talked we made our way to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Brushing my teeth while Jacob peed didn’t make me feel shy or uncomfortable the way it would have three months ago. However, when he made a point of washing his dick as well as his hands, I got an instant boner. Fuck, how was I supposed to pee now?

“What do you think my mom and your parents will say if Kristin stays the night with Tor?” Thinking of Mom and Dicte did the trick, and I could do my business while Jacob brushed his teeth.

“Do you think she might? Tor would probably want to sleep with her, but he’ll respect a no. Has she had a boyfriend before?”

I knew Jacob was asking whether Kristin was experienced with sex or not, but to be honest, I had no idea. It’s not the sort of thing you ask your older sister.

“She’s never brought anyone home or mentioned a boyfriend. But I don’t think she’ll let Tor be her first unless she really likes him.”

“If she suspects he has feelings for her, I hope she won’t fool around. Casual sex would be worse than no sex if she’s not interested in him. Tor might be a little vulnerable, because his life is sort of uncertain right now.”

“But that also means he could go to New York with Kristin, if she wanted him to.”

“It’s no good speculating; we’ll have to wait and see.” He gave me a quick kiss and took my hand. “Now, I believe you have something to show me?”

My cheeks suddenly felt hot; I was still self-conscious of my lack of real underwear. Jacob had turned away while I washed up after taking a leak, after he realized I wouldn’t do it under his scrutiny. But I suspected he had caught a glimpse of the white jockstrap while I was peeing. Of course, having him undress me and admire my body in nothing but the revealing jock turned out to be totally exciting – for both of us.

He asked me to ‘model’ it for him and I tried to emulate some of the sexy poses I’d seen Evan do during our dance lesson. When I turned around, after giving Jacob a good long view of my bare ass cheeks framed by the white material, he was standing next to the bed naked and hard. Fuck, yes, I knew what came now, and all my earlier tiredness was forgotten.

My sexy fiancé let me kneel and practice my oral skills for a while before asking me to lie on the bed. The pouch of the jock was soaked by precum and my dick ached from the confinement. I cried out in relief when he peeled it aside to swallow me whole. There was no holding back; he drove me straight to a powerful climax. I was still panting and trying to recover enough to return the favor when he flipped me over.

A smear of lube coated my crack and then Jacob’s thick cock slid between my buttocks as his weight settled on top of me. He rubbed against me while whispering in my ear.

“Don’t move, I’m gonna come on your sexy ass. We need to get you more jockstraps, Russ. You look good enough to eat in those. And I like the easy access, I want to fuck you…aaahhhh.”

Wet pulses of cum pooled on my lower back and between my buttocks as my lover moaned and pressed against me. Dry humping was what he called it, when we snuggled in bed after he had cleaned us up. I thought whatever; I call it hot and kinky, and something I want to try again, with or without jockstrap.

Not surprisingly, I fell asleep almost immediately and slept like a log all night. Sex is better than sleeping pills.

Sorry for the long wait. I hope my lady readers approve of Tor's behavior in relation to Kristin.