The Tent

Rowan puts the last of our water monitoring gear in the case and secures the clasps.

"Done!" he calls out.

I'm thirty feet away and attempting to sling our food over a high branch.

"Hang on!" I give one more toss and the rope goes over. I lash it to the trunk and check the knots. "Done!"

I walk heavily through the brush on my way back to the campsite. Daylight is fading rapidly. I shiver and rub my arms.

"When did it get so cold?"

"First time in Alaska?"

"I was in Anchorage a couple years ago but I don't remember there being such a big difference between day and night."

I sit on a stump and watch him put the finishing touches on the tent.

"It's totally different out here. Exposed to the elements."

Rowan stands up and brushes the dirt off his hands.

"We should get inside," he said. "It'll be dark before you know it."

We climb into the small two-man tent and get changed. I'm wearing leggings, long underwear, two pairs of pajama pants, and four pairs of socks.

"We'll check out the stars tomorrow, it's going to be too cloudy tonight. You've never seen anything like it." He pulls on a skin-tight Under Armour shirt and I try not to stare.

"Are you a constellation guy? You seem like the kind of person who knows a lot about constellations."

"I am a constellation guy, in fact." He turns the lantern off. "I know the history of their names, too."

"I knew it."

"Yeah, well. I was a really cool kid."

I laugh.

"Good-night."

"Good-night, Ever."

I try to fall asleep but the bone-cold chill keeps me up. I listen to the wind howl and retract my arms inside my sweatshirt. A light rain taps on the roof of the tent.

"Ever?" Rowan whispers. "Ever? Are you okay? I can hear your teeth chattering from here."

"No, it's fine. I'm getting used to it."

"Here." He unzips the side of his sleeping bag. "Come in with me, we can stay warm together."

"Are you sure? I'm really okay."

"Yeah, of course. Come on, you're freezing."

I climb in and he zips up the bag. I nestle against his chest and tighten the hood of my sweatshirt. He hugs me and rubs my back.

"Think of sunshine," he murmurs into my ear. "Naps on the beach."

I put my arms around his slender waist and drift off.

*

I wake up with the rising sun. Rowan and I are spooning and I can feel his erection press against my back. He's holding me, and his motionless face rests next to mine. He looks peaceful in the morning light.

I slowly sway my hips and move my ass against his crotch. I feel his cock twitch and stir.

Still half asleep, Rowan feels the shape of my body through the heavy clothes. I reach behind me and put my fingers on the back of his head. He slides his hand under my shirts and caresses my breasts.

I turn around so we're face to face. We kiss, wordlessly. We can hear the sounds of the forest starting its day. The tent feels warmer.

I reach into his pants while our lips lightly brush. His skin moves with my fist as I work his shaft. I start gentle and soon I'm squeezing with all my strength. We're still kissing.

Rowan breaks away. He pushes my pants past my ass and strokes between my thighs. I inhale sharply as he enters me.

He holds me with his long arms. Our legs are a tangle. He looks into my eyes while he moves inside me.

Something rustles close to the tent. Something big.

"Shh!" I cover his mouth with my hand. "Something's out there."

We lie perfectly still. Twigs snap, something brushes the ground. A low grunt.

"It's a bear," Rowan whispers. He's still inside me. "Don't move."

I cling to him and try to pretend I'm anywhere else. The bear gets closer, so close I can smell its musk. It lumbers around and swats the nylon with its paw. I'm so tense that my vagina clenches around Rowan. He squeezes my arm.

I tighten and relax my vaginal muscles. Over and over. Hold and release, then fast and hard. I bring him to the brink. The bear sits outside the tent, breathing. We can see its shadow on the wall. We don't move.

He cums inside me. He doesn't pull out. We hold still for what feels like an eternity. I can feel his heartbeat through all our layers of clothing.

Finally, the bear leaves. We wait a couple of minutes and exhale heavily.

"Holy shit!" Rowan rubs his eyes in disbelief. "That was insane!"

I pull up my pants and struggle out of the sleeping bag.

"I'm not even sure that really happened," I said. "Fuck, man."

"I know. I thought we were dead."

"Me too."

"But we're not."

Rowan pulls me in for a passionate kiss. I close my eyes and put my arms around his neck. We lie back down together.

*

Originally published in "Stories To Bang By, Vol. 8: The Great Outdoors"