Water and Stone

We eventually entered the forest, and everything changed. It was almost damp, clean-smelling, hushed with activity. We could hear birds quietly twittering in the distance and the rustle of small mammals. We reached a much more impressive stream in the middle of this deeper valley, enjoying the sound and feel of the water. It was luckily still easy enough to cross.

We finally reached our viewpoint, a knobby shoulder on the opposite edge of the forested valley. It jutted out just enough to give fantastic views all the way down the valley, as well as of the peaks above us. I was glad we were turning around, as I realized I had probably overdone it a little in my enthusiasm. We ate our lunch in happy companionship, watching the clouds build, the vultures and hawks circling lazily on thermals.

As we put on our packs to head back, Alexa shaded her eyes to look in the distance.

"We should keep an eye on those clouds," she said. "Might already be raining way over there." She giggled. "Speaking of which, I need to make it rain myself."

"Me too," I said.

"Join me?" Alexa had a naughty look on her face. I wasn't quite sure what she had in mind, but I took her hand as we headed into the forest again.

Alexa found a likely place to sit, but as I moved to give her space, she shook her head.

"Could we watch each other? I'm feeling so naughty right now."

"Uh, OK," I said, my own mind quickly warming to the idea. "That sounds great. But I better go right away or I won't be able to." Not thinking much about what I was doing, I quickly tossed my bag aside and unzipped my shorts. Out popped my dick, quickly getting erect. Alexa had started to take off her own shorts completely, and as she finished she kept watching me.

I tried not to look at her as she leaned her butt back against the log, spreading herself wide. Just as I heard the first few splashes from her, I finally managed to start, my own stream arcing to the side, a perfect view for Alexa. As I finished and shook out the last few drops, Alexa was still staring at me, her legs open, slightly trembling. My erection immediately grew to rock-hard.

"Oh my god, this is too much, Kevin," she said. "Uh, is it OK if I touch myself? Sometimes I like doing that when I pee out here." She looked away, embarrassed.

"That is fucking hot," I said. "Yeah, do it."

Alexa smiled back at me awkwardly and put two of her fingers quickly in her mouth before bringing them down to her pussy. Her powerful legs flexed as she lightly began to rub herself. I stared, transfixed as she quickly let out a little burst of pee, moaning as she touched herself some more.

"Oh my God Alexa," I said, "Uh, is it OK if I join you? This is one of the hottest things I've ever seen."

She nodded vigorously, and I awkwardly pulled my shorts partway down before giving up and stepping out of them. Lightly I started to stroke myself, eyes glued to the scene in front of me.

Alexa squeezed her hand with her thighs, letting out a little more pee with a sigh. She beckoned me closer with her free hand, and I moved until I stood between her spread legs. This was so hot. I could come any time. I watched her slip her second hand under her shirt to play with her nipples.

Alexa seemed to be done peeing, but she was clearly touching herself for the long haul. I settled into my own rhythm, murmuring encouragements, quietly rooting for her. After a long while Alexa raised her voice hesitantly.

"Could you, uh, get me the lube?" She looked embarrassed. "I put it in the outer pocket of my pack."

I smiled as I took a break and went to find it. Seems I was not the only one with some expectations this morning. The lube was nothing fancy, just what you'd get at the local drug store. Same as my condoms.

She took the bottle and squirted some on her fingers. More than she'd intended, by the looks of it, but she smeared it on her fingers, and then on the fingers of her second hand. Soon her bush was dripping with lube, and I thought a decent amount of her own juices. She squatted forward , even closer to me, rubbing the entire length of her pussy with quicker stroke. And then she quickly pushed one finger into her ass.

It was beyond erotic. I wanted her so badly, and I'd been so horny since yesterday. I tried to take my time, but it wasn't long before it was all too much.

"Oh, Lex, I'm cumming," I managed to say, turned myself sideways before I began to launch thick waves of cum onto the ground next to us. I moaned her name as my orgasm slowly subsided, and I crouched down with the wave of lightheadedness.

"That was beautiful, Kevin," Alexa breathed. She looked on fire. From the outside at least, no less aroused than Lisa or anyone else I had been with. I gently wiped myself with a tissue and just watched her for a while, thinking about how I could suggest helping her out.

*BANG*

We both jumped. Thunder, not nearly far enough to be comfortable. Alexa scrambled for her shorts, cursing continuously under her breath. I got myself dressed and the two of us were pulling on our packs in no time.

"Fuck. Idiot. I knew there was a chance. Kevin, stay here a second, I have to take a look." She dashed off, back to our lunch spot. I had a sudden lurching fear for her, out in the open, but she was back immediately. A few fat droplets of rain had just started to fall.

"We've got to get back right away, Kev. Down into the valley at least, away from this ridge. And across the stream. It's already raining incredibly hard back that way."

We quickly put on our rain jackets, and I followed her as she bounded away. I did my best, but there was no way I could keep up with her. She realized this and slowed down. It was beginning to pour, and we heard more ominous booms of thunder. I sensed lightning from the corner of my eye and flinched. I'd never been caught in a storm like this. The forest didn't seem nearly as thick now, and the wind was beginning to gust. I was terrified, and Alexa's nervousness wasn't helping any. She knew what she was doing, I thought. She must have been through any number of storms like this. We'd be OK. But she kept looking at the sky, looking back at me, impatient, upset. I struggled along, my muscles complaining. The rain and wind intensified.

We finally reached the stream, and I understood Alexa's urgency. There was far more water than there had been, and I could only imagine what it would look like when all the water above us made its way down. There were trees down along the stream below us, I realized. Old trees, carried by some previous flood. Several feet above where the water was now.

Alexa was dashing up the slope. We couldn't cross where we had before, I saw. Our stepping stones were gone, and the water was rushing by.

She returned in a few minutes, looking unhappy.

"There's a log up there, but it isn't easy."

"I'm so sorry Alexa, I wish I wasn't so slow," I said. "How screwed are we? Can we make it back?"

Suddenly she looked horrified. "Oh, no, Kevin, none of this is your fault. I'm so angry, so angry at myself for putting you in danger because I wasn't paying enough attention. I'm not used to thinking for two."

She breathed for a minute, collecting herself. "OK, so here are our choices. We can wait out the storm here on this side. We'll get soaked for sure, but we're protected enough from the wind and lightning down here. The problem is that the stream is rising, and this valley has a decent watershed above it. It would probably be dark by the time it dropped enough for us to be comfortable crossing it, which realistically could mean waiting to the morning. I really don't like the idea of spending a night out here, wet and chilly, though we could probably manage it. I have my small emergency kit."

"The other possibility is we *very* carefully cross the stream up above. Then we wait down in the valley until the thunder has stopped, and make a quick retreat to our campsite when we can. At least I picked that spot pretty well." She sighed.

I thought for a while. I knew how surefooted Alexa was, and was under no illusions about who would be the deciding factor for the stream crossing.

"Let's go up to the log," I said. "I'll see if it looks like something I can do."

The crossing was about as bad as I'd thought. A slippery log sitting not too high above the water. Even this would probably not be an option soon enough. I looked for a while, undecided.

"I think I can do it," I eventually told her. She looked relieved, though she tried to hide it. Clearly this is what she'd have done on her own.

"OK," she said. "I'll go first." She took off her small pack and surprised me by tossing it clear across the bank. Made sense, I guess. She foraged around until she found a branch she could make into a walking stick, and then she carefully took a step on the log, probing and bracing with the stick on the downstream side. Two steps, and then an easy leap. She was born for this, I thought enviously.

I stared at the log. Rain pounded into the stream, and I could already imagine the log disappearing under the water.

"You all right?" Alexa asked. "If you decide you can't do it, I'll come back."

I shook my head and picked up the stick she'd tossed back. I took off my own pack, tossing it a little too hard across the stream. Alexa easily caught it.

"The stick gives you three legs," she said. "Two on the ground all the time."

Slowly, I put one foot on the log. Slippery. But set my foot just right, and get the stick out in the water ... damn, it was deeper than I thought. There. A shaky lurch, and both feet were on the log. Where had Alexa put her foot next? It seemed impossibly far. I'd have to do this slower. Two feet on the ground all the time.

Legs shaking, I focused on the next move. One after another. Like a strategy game. My foot slipped and I cried out involuntarily, but the stick was set solidly. This seemed to be taking forever.

"My hand," Alexa said. I looked up, and she was leaning out to reach me. One hand on the stick, one reaching forward -- there. She gripped my hand and wrist with iron strength, and I pushed forward. She leaned back and practically yanked me through the air into her arms. Christ, she was strong.

I was holding her, hugging her, shaking.

"You're OK, we're OK," she said. "That was the truly hard part. Now let's get what shelter we can and hope this dies down soon."

I wasn't ready to let go of her, though, and she held me, patting me on the head, looking uncomfortable. Distant. She was still worried, or just upset. I finally let go and we got our packs back on.

The best we could find was a relatively dense stand of evergreens. The rain had penetrated everywhere, but it was still a bit drier crouched down at the base of one of the trees. Alexa broke out her emergency kit, and to my surprise pulled out two large plastic garbage bags.

"These rain jackets are great but they will still get soaked eventually. So, poncho time."

I followed her lead, and soon enough we were crouched together awkwardly, garbage bags over us with our faces poking out. I leaned to give her a kiss.

"Sexiest date ever," I said, and she burst out laughing.

"I'm so sorry, Kevin," she eventually said. "Oh, at least we're safe enough now, assuming this just your normal bunch of thunderstorms. I've been caught out enough times before, usually because I was too enthusiastic about my day's hike. Getting stuck because I was too busy frigging myself is a new one. It's actually seeming kind of funny at this point."

"But you were trusting me, Kevin, and I fucked up. I was terrified watching you cross that stupid log. My brain ran through what to do in a million scenarios and it was all going to be my fault."

"Nothing happened, though," I said. "And I still trust you. You told me honestly about our choices, and I really appreciate that. And now we're crouching here, crammed under a pine tree and my only regret is I didn't get to watch you frigging yourself longer."

Alexa giggled. "You know the worst thing? I'm squishing. All that lube. I can't forget for one minute what I was doing. My mood's all ruined and I'm pissed off and upset and at the same time my body is feeling about as ready as it ever has. I only tried lube once earlier this week, and it seems like it might be a great thing if I'm already feeling horny. I think I overdid it though."

"Yeah, but your expression when you stuck your finger in your asshole -- well, you saw well enough how I reacted." I couldn't believe it. I was getting turned on again.

"So, this time a real rain check?" Alexa said. I smiled and we awkwardly kissed again.

The storm seemed to be dissipating, and an hour later Alexa decided it had been long enough since any thunder that it was all right to risk being partly exposed. We slowly worked our way back up this valley, reaching the edge of the forest. The rain was steady and lighter now, and I could see a glimpse of the basin below us. The air was cool, though, and the winds gusty. I was glad we'd be getting to our tent and dry clothes.

As far as I could tell Alexa took a different route back that the way we'd come, keeping us as protected as she could manage. She never even looked at a map, which amazed me when I could muster the energy to think about it. I was fading quickly, my feet sore, my muscles aching. Alexa made me eat and drink, which helped, but I was just near the end of my energy. All of a sudden, I realized I was looking down on our little lake, the last bit of rain dimpling its surface. Thank God.

The water level was clearly a bit higher than it had been, and at the back of the lake the tiny stream was a thundering cascade, with a few stretches of waterfall visible further back in the canyon.

I stumbled into our tent, sitting heavily inside to leave my boots under the overhang. Alexa looked a little tired, but with nothing like my exhaustion. She nonchalantly began to strip off all her clothes, hanging the wet articles on the extending tent poles. Despite myself I stared, and she gave me a small smile. She pulled her shorts off over her boots, and then neatly stepped out of her boots to crouch in the tent with me, naked. She found her own pack towel, and quickly enough had dried off. With some effort, I followed her lead and put my wet things outside, borrowing her towel and collapsing back onto my sleeping bag once I'd dried off enough. My feet really hurt.

"Oh! Kevin, we have to take care of your feet," she said. I looked down, and saw that some of the pain was coming from some terrible blisters. One set was raw and began to sting horribly as soon as I noticed.

She pulled out her first aid kit and was clucking over me in no time. I relaxed despite myself. Her hands felt wonderfully gentle and assured on my feet. I stroked her hair happily, the warmth in the tent combining with my exhaustion into a pleasant somnolence.

"Kevin, I wish you'd told me about the blisters," she scolded. "Much better to avoid in the first place. I think tomorrow has to be a sit-around-the-campsite day."

"Oh, good," I muttered, "Do I get to play out my hot nurse fantasy?" Alexa glared at me.

"Sorry," I said. "I honestly didn't notice I was blistering. Not until we got back. I think I was too tired to focus on it."

She relented and tucked me into my sleeping bag, cajoling me to ingest some more trail mix and water with some ibuprofen. In a few minutes I was sound asleep.

When I woke up, I was a lot less comfortable. My blisters were really starting to hurt, and my muscles burned. I rummaged around to find some more painkillers. It must have been a couple hours, right? The light was certainly lower. Well, one more pill couldn't hurt.

I was a little chilly and really, really hungry. I carefully put on a few layers of clothes, and two pairs of socks. Nonetheless I winced when I put my feet in my boots. It was cool and partly cloudy outside, the air smelling fresh from the rain.

Alexa was starting dinner, bless her. I hobbled over, and she smiled at me distantly. I sat on a reasonably dry rock and started to help out.

"No, you should just take it easy," she said.

"Alexa," I said, "I'm not made of glass. You don't have to baby me, though I can't say I'm complaining about the lovely way you tucked me in to sleep. I can make dinner sitting down, and you can take a break yourself."

She slowly nodded, and moved over to sit beside me.

"Thanks," she said after a while. "I didn't realize what I was doing there, or why my mood was going sideways. Fuck cooking anyway. I mean, I like food. But I would happily accept your help for the indefinite future. Maybe someday I'll start to like doing it again." She slumped moodily.

"You're probably just hungry," I said, putting on my best grandmotherly voice. "Need to put some meat on those fine bones of yours." I pinched her cheek and she made a face at me.

"Ugh," she said, "you just captured my mother surprisingly well. I sometimes wondered if I was an adopted space alien."

"Well, if you have a line back to the aliens, thank them for leaving such a fine woman behind," I said, as I set the pot to cook. Not much to it, this backpacking cooking.

Alexa leaned over and gave me a huge hug. "Thanks, Kevin. You're the best thing to ever happen to me."

I hugged her back, and we watched patches of sunlight drift across the floor of the basin below us.

Dinner did make Alexa feel better. I was coming to realize she always ate significantly more than me. A hell of a metabolism. We broke into the second bag of wine and as predicted were starting to find a lot of humor in the day's adventures.

"If you'd just helped me along, maybe I would have finished earlier and we'd have been out of there!" Alexa was giggling, some combination of tipsy and relieved nerves.

"I was thinking of it, but I didn't know how to broach the subject!" I laughed. "Or maybe it would have escalated and we wouldn't even have noticed the storm."

"I can just see the obituary after we died from electrocution," said Alexa. "'She died doing what she liked best: trying to get a charge out of life.' Hell, maybe that's the only way to get me an orgasm." And then she suddenly couldn't stop laughing.

"Really, though, it seemed the wrong time to ask afterwards," I said. "Was that all working as well for you as it seemed?"

"Seriously, Kevin? I was in unexplored territory. It was amazing. Who knows what exactly it was, maybe it was everything together. God, I still feel wet thinking about it. Well, oops, actually that's just more lube dribbling around down there. But goddamn." She leaned over and gave me a deep kiss, then ran her fingers down my chest, right to the hard dick poking into my pants. A jolt went through me.

"Oh, fuck," I said. "Ah, the secret's out then. I'm still horny."

"Me, too," Alexa whispered into my ear.

We looked at each other, and then as quickly as we could we put the food away, stuffing our dirty dishes into a bag we set aside. Later.

We tumbled into the tent, discarding our boots, and then we were kissing. Alexa rolled onto me, pinning me down, and then started taking her layers off. I growled and reached for her and she pinned back my arms, hard, grinding her crotch on me. I couldn't believe this Alexa. Maybe I could have pushed her off, but then again maybe I couldn't. This was something new, and I loved it.

With her breasts exposed, Alexa teased them across my face. I briefly trapped a nipple between my lips, and she gasped happily as I licked her, before offering a quick taste of the other nipple. And then she was pulling off my clothes, running her half-naked body over me as her tongue worked down my front. One little flick on the end of my dick.

"Lex ..." I moaned. "Oh my god."

Emboldened, she licked me again, then ran her tongue down the length of my shaft. And then she partially engulfed me in her mouth, her warm tongue moving on me.