A prompt a week - 12. Tony Gets Back to Nature - Prompt 310

I’d marked the calendar and had our bags packed. Anthony was due home soon from work. I knew he wouldn’t just agree to go on an impromptu trip, but I also knew he was running on empty and if he didn’t get back to nature soon he would lose it.

“Ralph, why, in God’s name, is your truck parked in the middle of the driveway? I nearly crashed into when I pulled in.” Tony’s voice reached the back bedroom. “That was sort of asinine Ralphie.”

Joy. The dulcet tones of a lover happily returned from work. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He is wound too tight. Remember, this is the reason you are taking him away.

“Ralph? What the hell are you up to? Would answer me?”

“I’ll be there in a sec, Tony. Just sit down and eat. I have your dinner on the table.”

I put the last things I needed into the backpack and tossed it over my shoulder. I tried to calmly walk to the kitchen but I could hear Tony nearly shoveling the food into his mouth from where I was.

“Tony, take time to taste the damn food would you?”

I could hear the fork hit the table and I counted to ten. He was always so irritable lately. I swear sometimes this is what it had to be like for those living near a bomb. You weren’t sure when it would go off unless you defused it.

“You could just join me here, instead of telling me how to eat,” he grumbled from the table.

I could see the way he was leaned over and shaking his head. Yeah, I really needed to get him out of here.

I set the bag down and joined him at the table. I smiled and picked up a piece of chicken, mainly to keep him happy.

“Why don’t you get a plate?”

“Because I ate already, babe. I just will snack on this. Finish eating, get a shower. I have clothes laid out for you. I want you to get dressed in them and then we can go.”

Tony’s eyes narrowed. He looked me over and then continued to eat. I could tell from the way he hunched over his food, he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to talk. I ate silently, each bite feeling like I was swallowing sand. Tony finished his meal and stalked down the hallway. The second the bedroom door closed, I slipped out of the house and tossed my bag into the back of the truck. With luck I would have him right where I needed him before his mood got much worse.

I came back in just as he finished his shower.

“Are you kidding me?” growled Tony.

“Do I look like I’m kidding?”

Tony walked over and picked up the sweat pants and tee shirt I’d laid out. There were sneakers but no underclothes. “You are joking, aren’t you?”

“No. Are you trying to give me a hard time? Just get your ass into those workout clothes and meet me in the truck.”

I tried to keep my voice even, but I was already breaking out in a light sweat. I loved Tony with all my heart but there were times he wasn’t the easiest man to live with.

I set the final directions into my gps, checked to make sure the hamper of food in the back of the truck was closed tightly, and that the tent was ready. I had just done the last double check of everything when Tony stomped out of the house.

“I’m here.”

I took a deep breath before I spoke. “So I see. Just lock the door and get in the truck. You can sleep on the way. I promise.”

Tony checked the door and climbed in my truck. I know he preferred to drive anywhere we go, part of that control thing he does, but this time I was making sure he was going to get what he needed. He sat sullenly beside me as I pulled out of the driveway and turned onto our quiet little street.

“So, you going to tell me why I am dressed for a workout and you are dressed like you are going hiking?”

“Nope. Only that we have about two hours or so of driving to do. I’ve called ahead and cleared everything for this trip. You just need to relax.”

Tony eyed me suspiciously but crossed his arms and finally faced forward. It took about fifteen minutes till I finally heard the deep rumbling snores as he fell into a deep sleep.

The pale afternoon sky turned to the multihued tones of dusk and eventually to the dark sky. The longer I drove the more beautiful the open sky became as we left the cities and eventually passed even suburbia, leaving civilization behind.

It was nearly two and half hours before I finally pulled up to the gate at the edge of the preserve. Before I could even climb out of the truck a dark haired young woman walked over to the window. She seemed to almost appear out of thin air.

“Ralph?” She took a step closer and leaned in the window before she smiled.

“That’s me.” I whispered so as not to wake Tony.

She shook her head at me. “Name is Mary.”

I watched as she leaned even further into the cab and took a deep breath before she shook her head.

“Hmm. You don’t have to pretend Tony. I know you are awake.” Mary withdrew from the cab and just watched through the window.

I turned to find Tony’s dark brown eyes wide awake and him leaning past me to see the girl in the window.

I heard her giggle and I turned to look at Mary.

“Sorry. Boy he needs a break doesn’t he? Just follow the road up to the river. It gets really close to it before it bends and goes to the main settlement. You have the campsite right there by the river.” Mary walked over and unlocked the gate and waved me in.

“What are you doing, Ralph?”

“Hon, I love you. We both know you give up a lot to live with me, but face it; you can’t keep going as you have been. I made a call and it was suggested you were past due to commune with nature. So here we are.”

“I’m fine!” Tony nearly roared at me.

“Yeah, you're perfectly fine. I can see that by the way you want to rip my head off.”

Tony leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I know you need the break. Just go with it babe.”

It was only a moment later that I spotted the place that would be my campsite.

I climbed out of the truck and stretched. Two and half hours straight behind the wheel was doing terrible things to my back. If it helped Tony though it would all be worth it.

“So what do you need to do?” Tony stood behind the truck looking embarrassed.

“Not much, I just have to set up camp.” I shrugged my shoulder and looked at my lover.

“What else?”

“Get you to strip and go play.”

Tony blushed.

It had been a long time since I’d seen him do that. He hauled the tent out of the back and set it up for me.

“Ralph … do you need anything else? From me or?”

I leaned in and silenced him with a kiss. I could see the moon was starting to rise.

“No babe. It is past time. Go strip and have fun.”

I gathered wood and set it into the fire pit that was already dug there. I fished my lighter out and slowly lit the kindling and soon had a fire going before the tent. I had no intentions of cooking tonight but I wanted to let them know I was here and I was supposed to be.

I’d no sooner collapsed into the camp chair I brought when I spotted him. The dark grey and white fur of a North American gray wolf slowly emerged from the dark shadows of the woods. He stood on the other side of the river, his dark brown eyes watching me, and then he turned and howled. A moment later the wolf ran deeply into the woods.

I was relieved when I saw the wolf run into the woods. It was only a few moments till I heard the answering calls of a pack. I opened my tent, made sure my sleeping bag was ready and climbed in for a restful night of sleep.

It was early the next morning that I woke and decided about all I wanted was cereal. I ripped open one of the boxes I brought with me, used a little milk from my supplies, and ate it from the box like it was a bowl. I was nearly done when Tony came around from the back of the truck in just the sweat pants.

“How are you doing, Tony?”

He smiled and stretched. “Good but tired.”

It was the calmest I’d seen him in months.

“I’m going to crash for a while, hon.”

I stood up, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and pushed him toward the tent. I had just turned back around when I spotted Mary sitting on the back of my truck.

“I’m glad you got him here.” Mary stared at me with the same dark brown eyes that Tony had.

“I knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it up. He needed this.”

“He loves you very much, so does his wolf, but both were dying.”

I looked at my feet. I suspected something was wrong, but had hoped Tony would tell me what it was.

“He can’t deny who he is for that long. I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did. Our father ripped him a new one.”

“I thought your father didn’t like him being gay.”

“Our father only had a problem with him choosing someone who wasn’t one of us. I mean that old wise tale of a wolf biting a human and making him werewolf is just that, a story. Our father was afraid you wouldn’t be able to take care of Tony. Who knew Tony couldn’t take care of Tony?” Mary giggled as she looked toward the tent.

“I would do anything for him.”

“We know that now.” Mary jumped off the back of the truck and walked over to Ralph. “Let him sleep. When he wakes up, drive up to the compound. Dad figures it is past time for him to meet his son’s mate.” Mary smiled and patted Ralph’s shoulder before turning and walking up toward the compound.

Ralph smiled. It was good to know he had done right by the man he loves. He sat back down and waited for his lover to get some sleep. When he woke up it would be time to drag him home and finally meet the rest of Tony’s family.