Travis

by Shannon West

  “It’s ready. Go ahead and lie down. Maybe you’ll feel better if you take a nap.”

  “Okay,” he said and came over to lie on top of it, pulling the blanket over him with a little shiver. Camron stood looking down at him for a minute before going back out to finish stacking his wood. He was sweaty when he got done and decided to walk to the creek to wash off a bit. All of that took only about a half hour or so, but he felt refreshed and ready to face Travis again as he walked back to the cabin.

  Travis was asleep, though restless and mumbling. He seemed to be having a nightmare and was thrashing his arms around. He suddenly sat straight up and opened his eyes. Camron could see that he was disoriented.

  “How do you feel, Travis?”

  “Bad.” He looked up at Camron with his eyes dark and smudged looking. “I-I think I’m going to need one of those pills, after all, Camron.”

  Thank God. “Okay, let me get you one and some water.” Camron found the pills and knelt beside Travis, who raised himself up on one elbow and opened his mouth, waiting trustingly. Camron shook his head and put the pill on his tongue. Travis swallowed it and some water before lying back down. He looked so miserable though, that Camron couldn’t resist petting the back of his head for a few minutes.

  Travis slept the rest of the evening, while Camron straightened the cabin and mopped the floor. He turned in pretty early himself, after laying in a good supply of wood for morning. The mattress was small, not much larger than a double bed, and both Travis and Camron were large men, so when Camron pulled back the covers, he saw that Travis was sprawled over most of the mattress. He took a deep breath and crawled in beside him, feeling odd at being so up close and personal with another male. The only way to do the thing was to spoon him, so he turned Travis on his side and pushed up close.

  Travis mumbled and moaned in his sleep, so Camron murmured to him as he cradled him in his arms. “Hush now, Travis. Go to sleep—everything’s all right.” Travis finally quieted and Camron sent up a silent prayer of thanks for the sedative. He couldn’t take much more of Travis’s whining and bitching. He lay as still as he could until he thought Travis had gone back to sleep and then he eased over on his back, looking up at the ceiling, dimly outlined by the moonlight streaming through the windows. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

  Travis might not have been feeling well, but still he was foul-tempered and had complained about everything, as nearly as Camron could tell. Maybe this really was doomed and had no chance of working. Camron wasn’t a quitter and his parents had taught him to take whatever gifts were offered him. But this thing had disaster written all over it. Maybe he should take Travis home in the morning and cut his losses. He could probably talk Jenny into taking him back—not that she’d been all that broken up about it anyway. A pretty girl like Jenny had a lot of other options, after all. Then he could take the whiny ass Travis back home and wash his hands of him.

  Just then Travis turned restlessly in his sleep and threw a leg over Camron’s. An arm soon followed, wrapping tightly around his waist, and then his head followed that as Travis snuggled his face into Camron’s neck. His warm breath fanned against Camron’s throat as he pressed his nose in deeper and sighed. A wash of tenderness flowed over Camron, and he blew out a long breath. Who the hell was he kidding? He was hooked on this damn boy and one way or another he had to see this thing through. Stretching out his arm under Travis’s head, he gathered the man closer to him and closed his eyes with a sigh.

  The next morning dawned crisp and cold. It was November, and the weather was already changing fast. The side of Camron’s body where Travis was spread out on top of him was warm, but the other side, where he was half hanging off the side of the mattress was like ice. Shivering, Camron pushed Travis off him and got up, pulling the blanket back over the still sleeping boy. Travis snorted once and rolled over away from him, his whole body shivering as the cold breeze hit him. Camron figured the sedative must still be working on him, and didn’t want to disturb him. The doctor said he thought it might take a couple of days to detox him completely, and though he might feel bad for a few days, he should be over the worst of it by the end of the second day.

  That might be later today, considering he hadn’t had anything to drink but that one beer the day before. Probably the best thing to do would be to let him sleep as long as he wanted to, and then when he woke up, get him outside for some fresh air. An activity like fishing might be good—it was solitary and quiet, and he could sit in the sun by the stream and just do nothing if he wanted to.

  First Camron made coffee, leaving the pot on the top of the wood stove. He ate bread smeared with blackberry jam, along with a couple of boiled eggs he’d brought from home. He made a couple extra for Travis for when he woke up too, and then went out back to the shed to dig out the old fishing equipment. He found what he needed and then went to the woods to find some bait. Checking on Travis once he’d done that, he found him still knocked out, so he took off to the stream to fish for a while. With any luck he could catch their supper that night.

  At mid-afternoon, Camron went back to the house for lunch. He’d caught a few fish, at least enough to cook for dinner, and left them still cooling on a line in the stream. He opened a can of beans, and ate them standing by the front door, watching his boy as he slept. Travis groaned a few times in his sleep, but never woke up. He was restless, tossing and turning, and as he watched, Travis pushed back the covers restlessly and one of his legs thrust out from the covers. It was shapely and tanned and covered with a light coating of blond hair. It made Camron unaccountably restless and he turned away.

  Just before Camron left to go back to the stream, Travis sat up, rubbing his eyes. He spotted Camron by the door. “What timezit?”

  “It’s afternoon. Time for you to get up and eat something. There’s coffee and boiled eggs on the stove.”

  Travis glanced over at them and nodded. “Okay. Shit, I still feel like crap. How long is this supposed to last, Camron?”

  Surprised and a little pleased that not only was Travis seeming to admit that “this” was a problem, but that he was also turning to him as a resource. He was asking him for help whether he realized it or not.

  He straightened up and brought his fork back into the house, throwing the now-empty can of beans into a trash can by the door. “I’m not sure, kit. The doctor said it depended on how long you’ve been drinking, but from what he figured, only a couple of days, probably. He said to take as many of the sedatives as you need. They’re not too strong.”

  Travis nodded. “Okay. Maybe after I eat something.” He sat up and stretched. “Goes without saying that there’s no way to take a shower, I guess.”

  Camron didn’t bother answering, but instead of whining about it, Travis gave a sad little sigh and Camron caved right in. “I can heat some water up for you on the stove and you can take a warm sponge bath.” He turned to look at Travis and the smile Travis gave him was so beautiful it melted his heart. The look in his eye, however, held a hint of calculation.

  Turning away, Camron hardened his heart right back up again. Damn it, he would not become another Travis caretaker, like all his family, including Spencer! He would not be just one more in the long line of people who made things easier for Travis. The boy could bat those long eyelashes and wrap the whole damn bunch right around his little finger and Camron would not join them. He didn’t want to be mean to him either, but Travis had been babied far too long as it was.

  “Or you can haul your ass out of that bed and go down to the creek like I did. It’s cold, sure, but it feels good after a few minutes. It’ll wake you up, that’s for sure.”

  The smile died right on Travis’s face, and Camron had to steel himself against the pitiful look he gave him. It wouldn’t do Travis any good to baby him further. He turned his back so he wouldn’t have to see that look any longer and strode to the door. “I’ll be down at the creek fishing if you decide you want to come. There are towels and washcloths in
the cedar chest. Soap is by the sink.”

  He was out the door and halfway to the creek before he slowed down. It had been a very close thing. He almost went back and grabbed the bucket to draw water for Travis anyway—he’d had a rough night and his eyes looked shadowed and almost bruised. He forced himself to keep walking. Travis was smart and strong, and he could shake this addiction to alcohol if somebody kept a firm hand and a cool head. It was hard to do that with those soulful eyes staring up at him, and that’s why he had to get out of there before he gave in.

  Chapter Six

  Making his way back to the creek bank, he baited his hook again and sat waiting for another bite. Maybe ten minutes later, he heard someone coming down the path. It was Travis, barefoot and wearing no shirt. He held a towel in his hand and eased his way down the rocky, leaf-strewn path. Camron shook his head and lifted one eyebrow at him.

  “I couldn’t find my boots,” Travis said with a shrug. “And my shirt stinks too. I brought it with me to wash.” He held it up to show Camron and then walked to the water’s edge. “Looks pretty damn cold.”

  “It’s a little brisk, that’s for sure,” Camron replied, keeping his eyes firmly turned toward his line.

  He watched Travis from the corner of his eye as he bent down on the rocks and dipped his shirt in the water. He used the bar of soap to work up some lather and spread it carefully over the shirt and then rubbed it together. He dipped it back in the water and then repeated the whole process. Finally, when he seemed to be satisfied he’d done the best he could, he wrung it dry and spread it over the rocks. He looked over at Camron as if for praise for his efforts, but Camron kept gazing steadily ahead. Sighing, Travis pulled off his jeans and underwear—shot another quick glance at Travis—and then put one foot into the clear, fast-running stream.

  He jerked it back quickly with a loud oath and then after another few seconds, he tried it again with the same result. This time he plopped down on a rock next to the stream and folded his arms over his chest. “This water is too damned cold for humans!”

  Exasperated, Camron shook his head. “Be glad you’re not human then. Get in, Travis. My Lord, my little sister bathed in this water last year and didn’t make half as much noise as you. And she’s six years old!”

  Travis flushed a dark red and muttered something under his breath—Camron strongly suspected he was calling him and his whole family some choice names, but decided he’d rather not know for sure. He gave Travis another look with a raised eyebrow, challenging him wordlessly to man up and get it over with. Travis gritted his teeth and stepped off the rock into a portion of the stream that came up to his knees. Then seeming to steel himself, he sat down with a loud splash and a shout as the running water hit his back and cascaded over his shoulders.

  Camron watched in amused fascination as Travis took the bar of soap that he’d managed to hang onto, and began soaping his armpits, his hands shaking and his teeth chattering so hard Camron thought he might chip a tooth. He even ducked his head under the water at one point, ran his soapy hands through it and dunked it again. Jumping to his feet then, splashing water everywhere, including a little on Camron, he made his way to the rocks, jerked up his towel and took off back toward the cabin without another word.

  Camron sat by the stream a minute or two before getting to his feet and following him up the trail. He picked up Travis’s jeans and his shirt to take with him, figuring he’d let the shirt dry in front of the stove. The real reason he was following him, of course, was the flash he got of that delectable ass as Travis stormed back toward the cabin. Damn it, his body craved Travis’s, no matter what his brain had to say about it. Maybe if he gave in and gave his body what it needed, it would stop driving him crazy like this. He doubted it, but he supposed it was worth a shot. It still bothered him that he could be so attracted to another man. Maybe he could close his eyes and imagine it was Jenny in his arms.

  Going inside, he saw Travis standing on a blanket he’d put down by the stove, bent over and drying his hair. He was still shivering, and jumped in surprise as Camron took the towel away from him. “Here, let me do it,” he said and pulled up one of the straight back chairs in front of the pot-bellied stove. Travis hesitated for only a moment before he sat down on the blanket between Camron’s knees, turning his back toward him.

  “I thought you were mad at me,” Travis said softly.

  “Why did you think that?” He was running his hands through Travis’s silky hair, enjoying the soft slide of it through his fingers. He bent down to kiss the side of Travis’s face but Travis turned into the kiss and brushed his lips against Camron’s instead. He turned a little to face him.

  “I’ve been in a bad mood, I guess. Kind of hard to live with.”

  “Kind of?”

  Travis blushed, his cheeks turning a little pink. “Okay, I have, but I just felt so bad and I-I wanted a beer so much it sort of scared me.” Lowering his eyes, he picked at a loose thread in the blanket. “I knew I was being a jerk, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.” He turned his pretty green eyes up to Camron. “Do you really think I have a drinking problem?”

  “No, not exactly. I think you could have one if you keep on like you have been. You need to stop now, kit, before it gets any worse. If you need help to do that, we’ll get you some.”

  Travis shook his head, still fiddling with the string on the blanket and not meeting Camron’s eyes. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. I drink because it’s the thing to do, you know. When I go out with my friends…and we usually go to Holden’s place, so it’s always there.”

  “Yeah, well, that shit’s going to stop.” Camron took Travis’s chin in his hand and turned his face back toward him. “Do I have a problem with Holden? Are you two…?”

  “No, not really.” Travis shook his head. “Honestly, I wanted to be with him, but he wasn’t ever serious about me. He took me out sometimes, and I gave him a few blowjobs.”

  Camron’s hand tightened on his chin, and he had to make himself back off and let go. It wasn’t logical to blame Travis for who he’d been with before they were together—just like Camron had been with Jenny and others, Travis had a life before Camron. No matter how much it made his stomach clench to think about Travis with anybody else.

  “But it’s over now,” Camron said, and it wasn’t really a question.

  “Yeah, it’s over.”

  The heat of the stove had brought a pink glow to his skin, and when he gazed up at Camron, his blond hair drying in wisps around his face, and those emerald eyes sparkling, Camron thought he was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He’d seen Jenny and other girls in similar situations and found them beautiful too, but this was totally different. There were no curves in Travis’s body, and there was nothing about his lean, muscular body that was soft. He had stubble on his cheeks and the planes of his face were masculine and strong. When Camron leaned down to kiss him, he knew with certainty that this was a man he was about to make love to, and there was no way to pretend otherwise. And he didn’t care.

  He pulled on Travis and he came up to his knees and turned toward Camron, his hard cock pushing against the inside of his thigh. Camron looked down into his eyes and spoke to him softly. “I promised you once that I’d spoil you in bed, but I can’t seem to get you in one and conscious long enough. I hope this blanket will do.”

  Travis smiled and sat back on the blanket, leaning back on his hands and spreading his legs. “It’ll do just fine for me.”

  His thick cock was leaking a drop of pre-cum, and as he watched him, Travis caught it with his fingers and spread it over the head of his cock, his eyes never leaving Camron’s. He looked wanton and inviting and hot as fuck. Camron got up on legs that were just a little shaky and found the lube in his pack. He stripped off his clothes in record time and turned to find Travis watching him appreciatively, his hand still lazily stroking his shaft. He spread his legs a little further apart in offering, and Camron’s mouth went dry.

 
He knelt down beside him and pushed him back on the blanket. Slicking his fingers, he brushed them against Travis’s hole, his other hand resting on his stomach. “Look up at me, sweetheart.”

  Travis gazed steadily up at him, his lips parting as he felt his mate’s fingers start to make slow circles round his rim, not trying to enter him, just stroking him and teasing. He began to make those soft little mewling sounds Camron loved so much, and he slipped one finger inside him, feeling the muscles grabbing at it and pulling it in. He spent long moments moving it in and out, massaging gently until finally slipping in another finger. Travis threw back his head and moaned and Camron couldn’t resist bending down between his legs and kissing the tip of his cock.

  At the touch of his lips, Travis bucked his hips and groaned, so Camron obliged him by enveloping his sweet cock in the wet heat of his mouth. Travis gasped so loud and thrust up so hard Camron was afraid he’d come, so he gripped the base of his cock with his thumb and forefinger and held on tightly until he’d calmed down. Travis gazed up at him with pure desperation on his face and Camron laughed softly. “Slow down, baby, we have all afternoon.”

  He groaned again, his eyes rolling back up in his head and Camron released his cock with a long, slow, upward pull. Bending back to his original task, he slid his fingers in deeper and crooked them to brush against his prostate. Camron allowed him only the softest touch, because he was so close, and he really wanted to make this good for Travis.

  Feeling how relaxed he was, Camron added a third finger, working them inside Travis for a few more minutes. Travis rolled his hips in encouragement, soft pleas falling from his lips. Camron pulled his fingers away then and pressed the tip of his erection against Travis’s hole. Holding his hand firmly on Travis’s stomach, he held him still, refusing to let him wiggle his way onto his cock. He waited until Travis looked up at him again, and then he finally leaned forward, pushing into Travis slowly, but surely. He rocked his hips and sent his cock over that spot inside Travis that drove him crazy, and Travis screamed out his name.