Love in Flux

PART ONE: PREPARATIONS

"Are you sure you're going to need that? We're only going to be there for a few days, you know," I said to my girlfriend, Camellia, as I watched her shove yet another set of clothes into the large backpack she had sitting on the bed - she had five different outfits in there now. I had one of my own right next to it, which I had only packed three outfits in - enough clothes to last through Monday.

"It never hurts to be prepared. I just want to make sure I'm covered if anything happens," she said, matter-of-factly, just before looked over at my backpack. "You should probably take some extra clothes, too, babe."

"What exactly are you expecting to happen?" I asked, with a slight frown.

"Well, ideally, nothing will go wrong, but even if it does, this way I'll be ready. For instance, our clothes could get torn, soaked in the rain, covered in mud... all sorts of things. We are going to be out in the woods, after all; it's not exactly going to be a walk in the park, Jordan," Camellia said, throwing me a sidelong glance and a cheeky little smirk.

"Ha, ha. Very funny," I said, as I nudged her with my elbow. We both worked for Montpelier's Parks and Rec department, but I was more used to dealing with the trees along the streets and parks around the city than in the actual wilderness - that was Cammie's domain. "Well, alright, then, I'll bring another outfit, then." I headed over to my dresser before I dug through the drawers to find another change of clothes. That done, I put it in my own backpack with my other outfits. "You are the expert here, after all."

We were packing for a trip to her family's cabin for the weekend; they owned a huge swatch of forested land outside the city, which I had never been to. Camellia suggested we make the trip out there to spend the weekend together, and I happily agreed - it seemed like fun, and I was looking forward to spending more time with her... even if I didn't quite know what to expect. That was fine, though, because Cammie had assured me that she knew the area like the back of her hand. Plus, I knew from experience that she would be more than prepared enough for the both of us.

It was just the kind of person she was - she always had plans, backup plans, and backup plans for her backup plans. She had even typed up an itinerary of sorts for our little outing - it included the weekend's weather forecast, sunrises and sunset times, good camping spots, et cetera. It wasn't a rigid schedule so much as a list of things we might want to do. I was impressed at just how much she had thought it out, but I was pretty used to her predisposition to preparation and planning by now. I usually just let her do her thing since she was so gung-ho about it. I had the utmost confidence that she would be able to handle anything that the woods could throw at her.

"b. Thanks, babe," Cammie said with a little grin, as a hint of color crept into her cheeks. "We should get going on the camping supplies next. I want to be able to head out bright and early in the morning." She went over to the closet door and started rooting around in it, listing off different items as she pulled them out. "Let's see, we'll need the tent, sleeping bags, a compass, flint and steel, water bottles for each of us..." She suddenly perked up and grabbed a spray can, which she added to the growing pile of supplies sitting behind her. "Oooh, we can't forget the bear repellant—"

"—bear repellant?! Seriously?" I asked, with wide eyes - I hadn't even thought about the bears.

"Well, yeah - there are bears in the woods, after all, Jordan."

"I mean, I know, but like... have you ever run into one?"

"Nope, never, and I've been exploring those woods since I was a kid," she said, wearing a proud little smile as she turned back toward the closet and kept digging more things out. I watched her gather things for another minute ago before she stood up and shut the door, then turned back toward me. "We'll be fine, Jordan. Even if we run into one, that's what the repellant is for." I looked at the metal spray can on the floor and found it hard to imagine it would protect us from a freaking bear... but I trusted Cammie.

"Alright, then," I said, with a little nod. She grabbed what she could off the floor and made her way back to the bed.

"Could you help me with some of this stuff, please?" she asked, as she started to fill her backpack up with supplies.

"Of course," I said, as I went over and scooped up the tent with one arm, and tucked the sleeping bags under the other.

"Could you pack the tent in yours? I don't think it'll fit in mine." I nodded and shoved the tent in my backpack and strapped a sleeping bag onto the top of it, then set the other bedroll next to her bag.

"You sure you don't want to put some more stuff in mine? It looks pretty full," I said, but Cammie just shook her head.

"Thanks, babe, but I'll be fine," she replied, as she strapped her sleeping bag onto the top of her own pack. That done, she stepped back and surveyed the two packs sitting on the bed before she looked over at me and flashed a thumbs-up. "That should be good. My parents already brought some food out to the cabin, so we shouldn't need to bring anything besides snacks for the trail - you are up for some hiking this weekend, right?"

"Oh, um... yeah. D-definitely," I said, with another quick nod. Cammie stared at me for a second and then grinned.

"You're still worried about the bears, aren't you?" I nodded.

"Just a little."

"We're not going to be wandering around aimlessly, Jordan. I know my way around... we'll be fine - trust me." I was silent for a moment before I let out a small sigh and finally smiled at her.

"Alright, then," I said. "But if we actually do run into any bears, I'm probably going to shit my pants, fair warning."

"Well, that's just another reason to bring extra clothes then, isn't it?" she asked, with a smirk. I rolled my eyes at her, but I couldn't keep from grinning, either.

"That it is," I said with a chuckle. We both grabbed our respective packs and set them on the ground by the door. Cammie grunted as she dropped hers, and it landed with a loud thunk. "Are you sure you don't want to split some of this stuff up?" She nodded reassuringly, flashing a confident smile as she waved her hand dismissively.

"Oh, yeah. It's fine! This is nothing," she assured me.

"O-okay, then," I said, as I stifled a yawn - I was getting pretty sleepy.

"Anyway, should we hit the hay, then?" Cammie asked. "We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow, after all." It was Thursday night; we both had taken that Friday and Monday off to make the weekend a sorely-needed mini vacation - it had been a while since we had both gotten time off together. Besides, Camellia wasn't one to waste time - she lived every day to the fullest.

"Sounds good to me. I'm beat," I said, as I started to strip down. I tossed my clothes into the hamper next to the dresser and headed out of the bedroom and toward the bathroom to get ready for bed. When I came back to the bedroom a few minutes later, Cammie already had her clothes for the morning folded on top of her dresser, because of course she did. I looked over to my dresser and saw she had set an outfit out for me, too - including the bear-themed socks and t-shirt she had gotten me for Christmas last year. "Aw, you shouldn't have." I looked over and saw a devilish little grin on her face - I tried and failed to suppress a smile of my own.

"You're welcome, babe," she said, the words cloyingly sweet as she sidled up to me and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll be back in a bit." She gave me a little wave as she stepped out of the room, presumably to get ready for bed herself. I shook my head but grinned nonetheless as I watched her go; she gave her booty a playful little waggle as she went on her way - she had a rather rotund rear, and she was very proud of it.

I clambered into bed, and a couple minutes later, Cammie came back into the bedroom, stripped down, and then threw on the nightgown I had got her for her birthday - it had little lilies on it; it was a bit cheesy, but she loved it anyway. She smiled at me as she shut off the light, and it wasn't long before she had made her way into bed alongside me.

"You ready for this weekend?" I heard her ask; my eyes were trained on the ceiling, but even if I'd been looking at her, I doubt I'd have seen her in the darkness.

"I am," I said, after a moment. She was silent for a bit before I heard her speak up again.

"You nervous at all?"

"A little, I guess, but we'll be fine, I'm sure... Lord knows you've planned for every little thing that might go wrong."

"Well, maybe not everything, but... everything I could think of. Don't worry; you're in good hands, babe."

"I know I am. Night, Cam. Love you."

"I love you, too. See you in the morning." I turned away from her and shut my eyes; it wasn't long before I fell asleep.

PART TWO: A SHORT DRIVE

It turns out, morning came way too early. It took me a second to recognize the blaring sound of Cammie's phone alarm, and I felt her get off the bed before I heard her voice, enthusiastic as always.

"Good morning!" I wondered how she managed to be so chipper so early in the morning - she was definitely a morning person.

"Wh-what time is it?" I asked with a yawn, still barely able comprehend what was going on.

"Seven," she said, without missing a beat - how was she already so lucid? I made a noise that was somewhere between a grunt and a groan as I retreated further into the covers' warm embrace. "Oh, come on, Jordan."

"Five more minutes," I groggily replied, only to hear Camellia chuckle from her side of the bed.

"That's fine. I need to shower, anyway. I'll get you up when I'm done." I made another grunt in reply and smiled as my eyes drifted shut, grateful that I would be able to get a bit more sleep. Unfortunately, it seemed like no time at all had passed before I heard Cam's voice again: "Alright, babe, I'm all ready. We really should get going soon." My eyes fluttered open again, and I saw that she was already dressed and ready to go. I let out a sigh and threw the blankets off before I sat up and tried to rub the sleep from my eyes - it didn't help much.

"Alright, alright," I said, the words coming out a bit more grumpily than I intended. I let out a huge yawn and stretched my arms out wide before I finally stood up. "I'll grab a shower, and then we can head out." Cammie nodded, and I grabbed the clothes she had set out for me, shooting her a grin as I eyed the huge cartoon bear head on the shirt once again. "Be back in a few."

It didn't take me long to shower, and soon enough I was fully dressed in my bear-themed getup. Cam smiled at my outfit when I walked through the bedroom door.

"You look great, babe," she said, flashing me a snarky grin and a thumbs-up just before she held my pack out to me - unlike when she lifted her own, she seemed to have no trouble with mine. "Let's get these loaded and up and get on the road." It wasn't long before we headed outside with both of our respective packs in tow. We loaded them into the trunk and then got into the car. Cammie smiled at me as I shut the passenger door and strapped in. "Well, here we go. I've been waiting for this for ages; I can't wait until we get there. It'll be great - just you, me, and the great outdoors. You're going to love it there, babe. I know it." She put the key in the ignition and turned, and the car roared to life.

"How long will the drive take?" I asked, as she pulled the car out of the driveway.

"It'll take a couple hours to get where we're headed. I don't need GPS or anything; I know the way there by heart," she answered, in a prideful tone.

"Gotcha. And then we'll be at the cabin, then?" Cammie shook her head.

"Nope. The cabin is an hourlong hike away from where we'll be parking."

"Oh, I see," I said, with a nod. I didn't mind a walk, but I tried my best to push away intrusive thoughts of bear attacks. "And you know how to get there and everything, right?"

"Mhm!" she piped up, without missing a beat, as she turned off of our street and merged into the line of other early risers on the streets, no doubt heading to work - thankfully, we wouldn't have to think about work for the next few days.

"So, you're not worried about getting lost at all?" I asked. I couldn't help but be a little nervous - it would be my first time in the woods, after all.

"Psssh, no way," she replied. "It's all about following the landmarks, babe. We start by hiking Northeast from the car, then head North when we get to the rock that looks like a butt, and, finally, Southwest once we reach Maple."

"M-maple?" I asked, throwing her a weird look. "You mean like a tree?"

"Exactly, but not just any tree - she's very... unique," Cammie said. "Don't worry, you'll know her when you see her." I rolled my eyes and the corner of my mouth curled up into a little smirk.

"Okaaaaay? So... ass rocks and mystery trees. Are there any normal landmarks?"

"There's a lake, but that's a ways away from the cabin - about another hour or so. I wanted to show you that later today, actually."

"Yeah? And how do you get there, head South at the tree stump that looks suspiciously like a dick?" I quipped.

"No, no dick stumps needed to get there; I just follow my nose."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Oh, yeah, you can smell the lake all the way from the cabin." Camellia replied. "I can't wait to take a dip - it's been a while."

"You can... smell the lake?" I asked, still feeling totally confused - the prospect didn't exactly sound pleasant.

"Yeah! The air around the lake actually smells sweet - I'm not even really sure why - I asked my grandpa about it once; he just said the woods were special, and left it that. You'll see what I mean later." I nodded and let out another yawn. "You can take a nap if you'd like, babe. I'll wake you up when we get there."

"I think I'll take you up on that offer," I said, as I leaned the passenger side seat back and shut my eyes once again. "Love you." Cammie just chuckled in response.

"Love you, too. Just relax and get some rest." The car glided smoothly along the road, and it didn't take long for me to drift off once again.

I opened my eyes just as the vehicle rolled to a stop. I sat up and looked over at Cam, then out the windshield to see a looming expanse of trees around the car.

"Wha—?" I asked, just before the fog of sleep cleared from my mind, and I remembered where it is we were headed.

"Morning again, sleepyhead," Cammie piped up with another cheerful grin as she cut power to the engine. "Perfect timing - we're here!" She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. I groggily followed suit and joined her at the trunk. She opened it up and effortlessly lifted my pack before she handed it to me. I grabbed it from her and put it on my back - it wasn't really heavy at all. Next, she dug around in her own pack and pulled out her compass, plus the can of bear repellant - she held it up to me and grinned just before she clipped it to her pants loop using the little clip on the can; it had a little extendable cord on it for easy reach while hiking. "Just in case."

"God, I hope we won't need that," I said, as I took a look around. The car had been parked on a little dirt road, away from the main road. The sounds of passing cars were pretty far off, so we couldn't have been that far away. Still, the spot was pretty secluded - I couldn't see any cars when I looked behind us. There was a hand painted 'Private Property' sign nailed to a large tree ahead of us, and it was there that the wall of trees parted into a walking trail. Cammie walked over to the gap in the trees with her own pack slung on her back, and I followed close behind. Soon we headed into the forest proper, and I had to admit, it was pretty breathtaking.

A refreshing breeze blew past, causing the leaves to rustle in the trees - the ambiance was quite peaceful. I could hear the sounds of chittering insects and chirping birds as we began to follow the trail. She pulled a map from her pack and showed me where we were, and where the cabin was - she had each landmark and point of interest circled on the map. We had barely gotten anywhere at all before Cammie checked the compass, then turned and pointed off into the trees.

"That way's North, so we need to go..." she turned her body slightly to the right before she spoke up again: "...this way!" With that, she folded the map back up and stuffed it into her pocket before she marched forward... and headed away from the trail.

"What's the point of the trail if you're just going to ignore it?" I asked, as we made our way into the wilderness.

"That trail doesn't actually lead anywhere - it wound up getting too overgrown, so my grandpa had to find another way to the cabin. Look, just trust me, Jordan. I know exactly where we're going." I nodded and kept my eyes forward, making sure to stick close to her as she wove between the trees ahead of me.

We walked for a little while longer as Cam pointed out different spots and told me stories about her time visiting the woods growing up - the time she nearly got lost, the place where she saw an army of owls perched in the trees, and even a couple ghost stories her grandpa had told her... eventually, though, she perked up and ran on ahead of me.

PART THREE: LUSTY LANDMARKS

"Hey, wait up!" I called out as I sped up to keep pace with her. I slowed to a stop and stooped over a bit to catch my breath; Cammie was staring down at a large boulder next to a tree stump - there was no doubt in my mind that it was the legendary butt rock - years of wind and rain must have eroded the surface of the stone to form a perfect cleft down the middle of the boulder, giving it that unmistakable ass-like appearance.

"See? It totally looks like a butt, right?" she asked, with a smirk.

"Indeed, it does," I said, as I sat down on the rock, then rubbed my hand across it; the stone was remarkably smooth. "Hmmm, it's bigger than yours."

"What, so even the boulder is giving you a boner, now?" I couldn't help but snort at the alliteration. "God, Jordan, you are such an ass man."

"What? It's not my fault mother nature saw fit to sculpt such a fine specimen," I said with a smirk. Camellia gave me a sidelong glance and shook her head. "Hey, the rock may be bigger, but yours is definitely softer." I reached over and gave my girlfriend's butt a little squeeze, drawing a little yelp from her as she lurched forward a bit.

"Hey!" she snapped; her tone was slightly sharp, but still playful. "I may not be able to compete with mother nature, but if you keep that up, you're not going to get any of this ass all weekend." She gave said ass a little pat, then sighed just before she pulled out her compass again. "Alright, so now we need to go North. We should get moving... before you start trying to hump that thing."

"Oh, come on! You know I like yours better, babe," I said, as I stood back up and smirked at her.

"Uh huh. Sure, you do," she said, flatly. "Come on, then. This way."

I continued to follow her as she forged on ahead, and, just like before, we chatted as we walked. Thankfully, we didn't run into any bears, but we did see a couple deer, a rabbit, and plenty of birds fluttering through the trees. It was very different than patrolling the parks, but it was admittedly nice to be so close to nature - I was starting to see why Camellia loved it so much.

"Can we take a little break?" I asked after we had walked for about forty minutes or so. "I could use a snack." Cam nodded at me.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind dropping this for a bit," she said, jabbing thumb toward her pack just before she slipped it off. She set it down with another loud thump against a particularly large tree and sat down between the large roots that had dug their way into the ground. I set down my own pack, then plopped down next to her. She leaned over and unzipped her bag, digging around in it for a second before she spoke again. "Trail mix work for you?"