Black Fox: The Vessel - 1. Chapter 1 - Ian

I was barely controlling my giddiness sitting in the back seat of Sarah's dad's car. I've been waiting for it all summer. My first frickin camp. Yes, I was thirteen and it was my first camp, make fun of me as you please. At least my Mum wasn’t going to be there. It was just half an hour away so it's not like she couldn't come and see me anytime she wanted. I hoped she wouldn't. It would stink if she was to faff about while I was having fun and I planned to have loads of it. I'm sure she wouldn't approve of some of it, especially now that I was supposed to be devastated with my dad having gone missing.

Kevin was sitting in the front and I was in the rear with Sarah. Ugh, I tried playing it so that he'd be sitting next to me but I botched it. As a result, Sarah and I were chatting lively and Kevin ended up a tiny bit alienated, sitting in silence next to Sarah's dad.

“So I told Natasha,” Sarah was telling us animatedly, “no, you can't borrow it. I don't want lice on my hairbrush.”

I exploded with laughter. It didn't bloody matter that it wasn't even that funny but my brain was already out of oxygen and I was suffocating. Fucking lice, I'll be blowed! I thought I heard Mr Davies sigh but maybe that was just a fart. This thought cracked me up even more and I fricking wailed.

“And she said… she said…” Sarah was barely speaking through the laughter, “she said she's not coming to my birthday party and I said – you bet you aren't.”

The back of the car roared in unison.

“Please… stop… please,” I put my hand over her mouth. “I can't breathe!”

“Let me go you puff!” She slapped my hand but then we both started laughing before she could say one more word.

“Sarah!” her dad scolded her from the front seat. He was upset and this time I put my hands over my own mouth and snorted, unable to control myself. My hands smelled funny and I realised it was something Sarah put on her lips. Yuck!

Sarah wiped a tear running down her cheek. “But Dad, Ian is a…”

“Just let me drive in silence for a minute. We're almost there and my ears hurt!”

“Okay, Dad.”

I was still cracking up, I couldn't help it. I looked away through the window and tried to occupy my mind with something else, but then I looked back and saw Sarah's face in the rearview mirror and we exploded again. This time I'm sure it was a long sigh coming from Mr Davies' mouth.

***

“Bagsy on this bunk!” I yelled as I threw my backpack up on the bed right next to the window.

I couldn't believe it. We had the whole cabin to ourselves with the top floor remaining unoccupied. That was bonkers! I already knew I'd be sharing a room with Kevin but now that we were left alone for the first time, I felt warmth in my tummy. I gave him a wild smile and he smiled back.

The thing is, I didn't know Kevin very well. I had just met him two months ago, right after school ended. He went to the same class with Sarah, who I had met during a drawing course a year ago. She had got bored quickly and signed off but we stayed in touch.

I liked Kevin from the start, what else can I say. Maybe I wished he was a wee bit taller and more confident, but other than that he was everything I liked in a guy. He was my age. I was born in March and his birthday is in February so we were only one month apart if you let me do the math for you. I was more bold and outspoken and he was more silent and introverted but still very, very smart. We were almost never alone but in those rare moments, when we weren't just goofing around but instead talked about things like astronomy or history, he seemed to know it all. And look how long I lasted without telling you he was just so cute, ugh!

I called my mum and just briefly told her that I was alive and well. She had been particularly overprotective ever since dad went missing. It’s a miracle she let me go to the camp without her at all.

I got changed and ran out the cabin door to meet everyone outside and almost bumped into Owen. He looked like a ghost. His skin was greyish. I think he lost several pounds, too. He was wearing a loose long sleeve shirt, but it was clear that he was more frail than the last time I saw him. He didn't lose all the muscle and was still looking amazing, but there was something ghastly about his appearance now.

Owen gave me a cold stare and instinctively I turned around and went back inside the cabin. I was breathing fast.

I had been trying my best to stay away from him. I hadn't seen him at all since that time he and Alex caught me spying on them. The whole thing got me properly traumatised with them discovering my drawings and the Bieber stuff. I had to keep coming up with excuses not to come over to Sarah's house and I even started inviting them over to mine - until I ran out of explanations and Sarah started asking questions. Later I learnt that Owen told her everything and scolded her for giving away their location. I mean, she had known I was gay before but I didn't want her to discover I had the hots for her brother – or for Bieber for that matter. But when I finally did come over, Owen was nowhere to be seen. I subtly asked Sarah about it and she told me he was barely coming out of his room anymore. I knew he and Alex broke up but that was the first time I got a hint that he wasn’t taking it well.

I won't lie, prior to the camp I had some loose thoughts about hooking up with him now that he was available – even though I was a bit scared of him after he slapped me – but now that he embraced a look of a school shooter, pardon this comparison, I decided to stay away from him and from his bandmates.

You heard me, his bandmates were there, too – Cayden, Mike and Josh. I only met them a couple of times. They were older and, except for Josh, loud, scary and swearing all the time when the adults weren't within earshot. All of them were cute, though, especially Cayden who was probably my #1 fox now that Owen turned into the Twilight saga cosplay.

You must know that I had a little list on the back of my sketchbook. I liked making lists. They make everything tidy and organised. But this list was special because I badly wanted to lose my virginity during this camp and it was a tier list including all boys that were coming with us.

Kevin was solely occupying the S tier at the top. Owen was in the A tier along with Cayden and I couldn’t decide which one of them was hotter. Owen would easily make it to the S tier but my chances were close to nonexistent. He hated my guts and he was clearly heartbroken after whatever happened between him and Alex. Then Mike and Josh were in the B tier. They were good looking but not sensational; on top of it, I heard, Josh had a girlfriend. There was also a side note about my guilty pleasure - Kevin’s dad. I would let him rip me apart anytime he wanted. But enough about that.

Who else was there, you ask? Owen's and Kevin’s parents, Cayden's dad (Sarah claimed the singer's mum was dead), and also Mike's parents and older sister – she was like 25 or something and she didn’t care to hang with us kids a lot. The adults, Sarah, and Mike's sister (I forgot her name) were occupying two cabins. The Black Fox lads had one to themselves and me and Kevin were staying in the fourth one.

The long row of two-floor wooden cabins was stretched along the lakeshore. The lake was pretty big with a forest encircling it from the other side. I saw motorboats and sailboats scattered across the surface.

The point of the whole trip was to teach us how to sail sailboats. Cayden and Drew were the only ones who ever tried it and from what I’ve heard they were pretty good. Cayden and his dad, who was also the band’s manager from what I’ve heard, had spent most of their lives sailing and surfing Australian waves. The rest of us were total noobs and my best hope was not to drown before tasting my first dick.

First, we all went on a stroll around a smaller lake in the area and ate at a nearby restaurant. After eating, we rested a bit and then met our instructors for our intro class. The first class was about teaching us the ropes – no pun intended – and basic safety procedures as well as getting our feet wet for the first time.

After that, we rented double kayaks for everyone and I paired myself with Kevin. I thought it would be easy, but it was bloody hard! For the first fifteen minutes, we were mostly going in circles.

“You're flapping your right row too hard!” Kevin shouted at me.

“You're the one who’s supposed to be steering, you oaf, I'm just giving us propulsion.”

“Propulsion my arse, can't you cooperate?”

I didn't answer but launched a jet of water at him with my oar.

“Oh you fucker,” Kevin turned to me to hit me. For several seconds we fought with the oars like with two-handed swords. It looked like Kevin was starting to like me back!

“Kevin!” His dad yelled at us. I didn't notice him coming to us. I bet he was already regretting he'd agreed to watch after us. We calmed down.

We spent the day having a blast by, on and in the water. It was in the middle of August but the weather was perfect! When the sun was low, we had a campfire and roasted some meats. I was sitting next to Kevin, but kept stealing glances at Owen who was on the other side of the fire from me. He didn't look at me even once though. He kept staring at the fire and I don't think he blinked once. The rest of the band were in great moods. I think I saw them sipping something from a suspiciously-coloured coke bottle, too.

“What's on that hill?” Kevin asked me, pointing at the wooded hill behind the cabins but Mrs Davies overheard me and replied first.

“There used to be an old medieval fort up there, towering over the lake,” she said. “Now it's in ruins, but we could go up and see it one afternoon.”

“I don't think it's open for tourists,” her husband said. “I'm not even sure if there's a trail going that way.”

“It's maybe a fifteen-minute walk,” Drew retorted. Cayden’s dad was wearing a red flannel shirt and a baseball hat and suddenly sounded like a survival specialist. “I've been there once, no biggie. Nothing to see, really. Apart from the chapel, there's not much left from the fort.”

Sarah and Kevin gave me excited looks. One thing you have to know about our gang is that we love scary stories and horror movies. We literally piss our pants watching that stuff or telling each other scary plots we make up. Sometimes I can't sleep if the story goes too overboard. It's awesome!

One hour later we were in my and Kevin's room. We didn't have to go to sleep just yet so Sarah came with us.

“Do you think these ruins are haunted?” she asked.

“Bloody sure they are,” I said with confidence. “I bet everyone was murdered by the Vikings and the place is overrun with ghosts and skeletons!”

“You can't know that,” Kevin remarked. Ugh, he could be such a killjoy.

“Can so! I read it in a book.”

“You didn't even know this place existed, liar.”

I was in no mood to argue with him, so I stood up and turned the light off. I jumped right back on my bed, switched on the flashlight in my phone and made it illuminate my face from below.

“Back in the 10th century, when the first Vikings’ invasion started…”

"It was in the 9th century!" Kevin interrupted.

“Oh, shut up already, smartass. So anyway, a long time ago there was a fort right up this hill by this very lake. It was built to protect the local villages - humble woodcutters and fishermen; peaceful folk, living their merry lives and staying away from trouble. The fort was crucial to the Crown as it was guarding one of the most important trade routes.”

I could almost hear Kevin rolling his eyes, but this time he didn’t interrupt.

“There was a lord ruling over the fort and the nearby settlements. He was very proud but also conflicted with the King of Mercia. When the first rumours arrived of the Vikings threat approaching from the East, his advisors agreed that he should plead to the King for reinforcements. The proud lord declined and said it was his land and he could defend it by himself. His advisors weren’t happy with that and neither was his family. They feared that the lord's feud with the King was bound to bring doom upon them all.”

“What did the lord look like?” Sarah interrupted. “Was he young and handsome?”

I turned to her. “No. He was old and fat and greasy. But he had three young sons. They were all tall and handsome. They said that the oldest one was to marry the king's daughter.”

“Awww!” Sarah sighed but Kevin just shook his head.

“Alas, it was not meant to be,” I lowered my voice and leaned closer to their spooked faces, making them instinctively back away an inch. I continued with a menacing look. “The rumours of the invasion turned into reports from eyewitnesses. Bloodied, mortified refugees started passing through the Lord's lands, telling stories of slaughter, rape and plunder. But they weren’t about to stop for shelter, oh no. The refugees were running further South, warning everyone to escape while they can.”

“Some did listen and escaped to bigger cities or even left the country altogether, so the rumours stated,” I said in a calmer voice. “But most stayed, not ready to leave behind their possessions, the old and sick, the newborn babies. By that time, the lord had antagonised everyone around him and his sons started plotting. The youngest one took his horse and rode in the middle of the night to ask the King for help. The other two came up with a device to murder their father,” I growled and Sarah and Kevin jumped in their seats.

“They brewed a strong poison,” I continued, uttering every word in a low voice, “and deceitfully added it to the Lord's wine. When he drank it, he grasped his throat, turned red and collapsed. Nobody mourned his passing.”

“What happened then?” Kevin asked. “I mean, uhm, what comes next in your silly story?”

I smiled mischievously, illuminating my face with the flashlight. Kevin could barely pretend anymore that he wasn’t excited by my mostly made-up tale.

“This is the story of why the fort lies in ruin, innit? What do you think happened?

When the Lord's youngest son arrived in Repton and got a taste of the King's hospitality, he wasn't quick to return to his father's land. The King liked the young lad and decided to make him his son in law. Why come to the fat old prick's rescue? the King asked the youngster. Let him die and be buried along with his pride. I will make you, my son, a new lord on these lands.

The lad wanted to protest. After all, there were also his brothers and the people left there at the mercy of vile barbarians. But then he thought - why would I help them? I'm third in line. I'll be given some pitiful scrap of barren land and marry some merchant's daughter to live the rest of my days in their shadow. And here, I can be the Lord and marry the beautiful princess! Who knows, maybe one day I’ll get to be a king!”

“Bet you'd like him to marry the prince instead,” Sarah cut in and they laughed. I frowned at her for ruining the mood and almost outing me in front of Kevin.

“Who cares?” I whispered. “His days were numbered, anyway.”

As I expected, the room went silent again so I was happy to continue.

“Back in the fort, the two sons took over the rule and started preparing for the invasion. They trained and armed the folk, reinforced the walls and evacuated those unable to fight. They kept looking to the south, awaiting the King's army but it never came. The Danes outnumbered and outskilled the defenders by tenfold and slaughtered every single soul who didn't manage to escape. They burned down the villages and even set fire to the fort and the chapel. They came through the land like a swarm of locust, leaving only death and scorched earth in their wake. The oldest son died, his skull split in two by the enemy axe. The middle son – his name was Wulfhelm – fled on a horse but not before a stray arrow plunged through his leg. It was a complete and utter defeat.

After hearing the news, the King summoned the lord’s youngest son. The lad was eager to hear about his upcoming lordship and the royal wedding. To his horror, instead, the King accused him of treason and sentenced him to death. He was hanged the very next morning.

Sarah gasped and Kevin asked, “What about the middle son?”

“Well,” I spoke slowly, “Wulfhelm sold his sword and his horse and lived with a peasant family for a while. They fed him and helped him treat his wound. Soon after the battle, the King demanded the middle son's head for poisoning the Lord. He wanted his bloodline wiped off the face of the earth.”

“Wulfhelm decided to go undercover and live the life of a cattle breeder. He grew a beard and no one recognized him. After a few years, he had almost forgotten about the horrors of his past life. He went back to his homeland and lived in a town placed above this very lake. He helped rebuild it after the Vikings’ raid and gained the trust of the locals. He even met a pretty girl, a smith’s daughter.

It looked like his life was finally turning around, until one stormy night, when he was woken up by loud banging at the door…”

I didn't finish because at exactly that moment, there was a banging at the door to our cabin. We all jumped and Kevin fell off the bed. Sarah hugged me and I hugged her back because I was just as scared as she was – if not more.

We didn't dare to say a word or move a finger. When we didn't react, someone opened the door, entered the room and switched on the lights.

Our faces must have been priceless because Sarah’s dad was looking at us with amusement.

“Telling each other scary stories again? Boys, shower and go to sleep. Sarah, go back to your room.”

“But Daaaaad!”

“No arguing, shoo! Off you go.”

Reluctantly, she got up and left me and Kavin alone. I couldn’t help but feel there was an awkward silence neither of us knew how to break. This might very well have been the first time we were really alone in one room. I’m normally pretty outspoken but the sexual tension I felt toward Kevin was a new feeling for me and I was just starting to figure it out. I started doing stuff on my phone while Kevin was going through his stuff.

“You wanna go first?” Kevin asked me.

“Go what?”

“Shower. Aren’t you showering?”

“Um, sure.”

Earlier, I fantasised about showering together with him but now I knew I’d never find the guts to offer it. I took my change of pants and a towel and went inside the bathroom. I undressed down to my briefs and was about to take them down when I noticed that something was off.

“Kevin!”

“What?” he shouted back.

“Come over here for a minute, would you? I want to show you something.”

“I don't wanna see your butt, mate,” he said.

“Oh come on, I'm decent, it's something else. You'll want to see this.”

I heard him grunt and jump down from his bed.

“You call this decent?” he pointed down at me when he saw me.

I didn’t know what his deal was. Ever since I discovered that it took only ten pushups a day to make me look fit, I was doing them every morning and sometimes in the evenings. I bloody hated sports, but I hated being a fat kid even more so I forced myself to get this out of the way regularly. I was hoping the sight would make Kevin all hot and bothered but it didn’t seem to be working.

Straight boys will be the end of me, I just know it.

“Better get used to seeing me running around half-naked all the time cause I hate clothes, mate. Better look up here,” I said, pointing at the wall.

On the wall, there was a window. Big, rectangular window stretching across half of the frickin’ wall. The night was dark outside while the bathroom lights were on.

“You know what this means?” I asked Kevin.

“That anyone who happens to be outside can see us while we shower?” he said slowly.

“That’s right, Sherlock. Not cool, innit?”

“Who the fuck puts a huge window inside a bathroom?”

“I know, right? Would you wait outside and be on a lookout while I wash myself?”

Kevin raised his finger, his eyes flickering. “I got a better idea.”

He went back to the room and returned with a spare bedsheet. The window was opening downwards, so with my help, he fixed it up there and made a functioning cover.

“There you go, now no one will see your little weenie,” he said and closed the door behind himself, leaving me there alone.

Sometimes I wished he was dumb as hell and just followed the plan I carefully crafted to give him an opportunity to peek at me while I'm naked. And even better, give me an opportunity to do the same while he's in the shower.

I took off my briefs, swirled them like a propeller around my finger and threw them in the corner. I went under the shower and let the water run. I considered playing with myself but decided the day still wasn't over and maybe I should just be patient.

Once clean, I dried myself and stepped out, still dripping water on the bathroom rug. I never fully dried my hair. I liked it to stay wet and let it dry by itself. Also, I didn't exactly like my sandy colour. Fuck, my hair was almost white like the fucking Witcher. Getting them wet was making things better – like in, darker – only a tiny bit but a tiny bit was good enough.

I looked at my naked reflection in the mirror and then at the window. Wouldn't it be dynamite to let the curtain fall and expose me to anyone happening to walk by? It was so dark outside I wouldn't even know if someone was looking unless they glued their nose to the glass. Which was even more exciting! Maybe I could just uncover it a tiny bit just for the extra rush of… wait… that's it!

I worked on the improvised draper until there was a very slight slit - just enough to let me see through - or let someone see from the other side. I made sure the gap looked innocent enough and put on the fresh undies I liked to sleep in.

I was just about to rejoin Kevin, when I turned around and wiped the shower stall clean. I wouldn't want it to obstruct my view and spoil the fun, right?

“Your turn!” I said and jumped on my bed. I stretched and watched Kevin gather his stuff and disappear behind the bathroom door.

Not even a second passed before I jumped to my feet. I lost a millisecond considering putting on my clothes but there was no bloody time to lose. I trotted to the cabin door and opened it ever so gently as to not make a sound. The cool, evening air tingled my skin as I sneaked around the building.

I slowed down as I approached the window. The grass felt cool under my naked feet and my heart was pumping like crazy. I couldn't believe my brilliant plan was about to work! I slowly approached the slit I left in the sheet draped over the window. I kept my distance from the wooden wall in case I would be caught in the light coming from inside. Finally, I got into position and there it was – my glorious reward. Kevin, in his full, rear glory.

I covered my mouth with my hands afraid someone would hear my quick breath or rattling of my teeth. I've never seen a real-life naked boy body and here he was standing, all-natural and unaware. I took a step closer. Ian, you genius. You placed the slit in a perfect place! I realised the bathroom was a few inches above the ground level and I was looking at him slightly from below as he opened the sliding shower door and turned around.

I almost frickin’ fainted, I crap you not. He was hard as a bloody cricket bat.

Maybe he wasn't huge but his dick was beautiful. And for some reason, smooth as a baby's bottom! I had been growing some light hair over there for about a year now so he was either shaving or wasn't just quite there yet. Nevermind. His knob was almost straight, just slightly bent upwards towards the tip. His scrotum was tight and well developed. Wow, he was a male for sure. His male parts… boy parts, never mind. I wanted to suck him so much now. Then I started scanning it, trying to remember every detail so I could recreate it in my head later on. But just a few seconds after he turned the water on, he touched it.

I almost fell to the ground. I was trembling so much I was only able to get on my knees to regain balance. I looked back and there he was, bashing one out as if no one was watching. Oh god, I was experiencing my crush's most private moments live and uncut.

Just as I was beginning to enjoy myself, I realised with sadness that Kevin liked his shower steaming hot. The steam was slowly covering the stall door from the bottom and it was the most excruciating progress bar I've ever witnessed. Please, just a few more moments. Please! And then it was gone from my sight.

But it wasn't gone from my mind, hell no! I pulled down the front in my briefs and grabbed my throbbing cock. Oh god, I can't believe it. I'm doing what Kevin is doing like, literally like next to me, oh crap! We're doing it together, like blood brothers. Oh shit, oh shit…

“Ughhhh,” I grunted and squirted on the grass. I wasn't able to control myself. My body jerked and shivered and I thought my soul was being ripped apart from my body. It was so intense. “Fuck, fuck, fuck…” I wasn't the one to swear a lot, but if any moment was the right time, that was it.

I didn't know how much time had passed but I was sobered by the sound of the shower door sliding open on the other side of the window. I lifted myself a little to look and there he was again. All wet, his deflating penis reddened and still at half-mast. My head spun and I was almost ready for another round. I watched him casually walk towards the sink, giving me a perfect side view of his body.

Then I heard footsteps behind me. I jumped to my feet and casually walked away. Casually? Who was I kidding? I was still trembling and I knew my dick was tenting my white briefs more than it should in normal circumstances.

It was Kevin's dad. You must know he was one bear of a man, towering over me like a Roman gladiator. I mean, I don't think he was that muscled, he was just big. A complete opposite of his son.

“Did you get lost, Ian boy?” He asked when he saw me. He was a gentle giant but I was afraid he'd see through my sins and get me in trouble.

“No, uh, I just… had to pee and Kevin is taking the bathroom.”

“Pee, huh?” He said and looked down at my bulged briefs.

I got red on my face and covered the evidence with both hands, saying my prayers in my mind.

He laughed. “don't worry Ian, a boy has his needs. I won't tell your mum or anything.”

And, like that, he left, still chuckling.

A full minute had passed before I could move a finger and then I darted back into the cabin. I jumped on my bed and just when I grabbed my phone, pretending to be checking something, the bathroom door opened and Kevin came in, just in his boxer briefs.

“Ian mate, what were you doing? You're panting like a dog,” he said, not even looking at me.

“Uh… I was… I was doing my evening pushups, that’s all.”

Kevin turned away to put away his dirty socks and undies. I noticed there was a stray grass blade sticking out of my toes and I quickly covered my legs. The awkward silence got even more awkward than before. Kevin surprised me when he spoke.

“Do you like Sarah?”

It caught me off-guard. “I don't know, why? She's a friend.”

“Yeah, I know, but she's grown a lot and you know…” he turned around to me and cupped his boy breasts, shaking them a bit.

I rolled my eyes. “Come on, man, stop it!”

“What? I thought you were horny and wanted to talk about stuff,” he said.

I started wondering what his comment was about. Guess he didn’t buy my little story about pushups. When I didn't answer, he shrugged, put on his PJs and got into bed. I stopped sleeping in my PJs when I was nine and it seemed a bit weird to me. Maybe it was me who was weird for only sleeping in my briefs, I couldn’t know for sure.

We were laying in silence for a while. Then we both turned off the night lamps and turned to opposite sides. Our beds were maybe two yards away and if not for my heavy breathing, I could easily hear his.

“You know,” he said when I was sure he was already asleep, “if you're horny, you just wank it in the shower. I just did.”

“Yeah, maybe tomorrow,” I said. In other circumstances, I would love to talk about it some more but now I just needed him to shut up and go to sleep. Which he did.

I peacefully drifted to sleep, too. Not! I was trembling under my cover and when I finally calmed down, I started replaying the memories of the past hours in my head. And when I was finally done thinking about naked Kevin I started thinking about the confrontation with his dad and then about our talk before tucking in.

It was 2 am when I reached over to my night shelf and silently retrieved my secret red sketchbook and a pencil. I took my phone, went under my cover completely and switched on the flashlight. I paged through my drawings and sketches until I found the one of Kevin. Topless. His torso ended just below his belly button and there was a blank space below. I took the pencil and got to work.

It was time to finish the rest of it.