by Becky Black
“Tribe,” Zach said, breaking a long silence. “Is that what we are?”
“It’s what you made us.”
“I did? When?”
“At the meeting.” Adam rubbed his forehead, gathering his thoughts. Zach watched him curiously. He must not realize the effect he’d had on people up on stage in the dome. “It was when you told everyone to bring a big pack because eventually we’ll have to carry the children.” He didn’t add that from then on he’d have followed Zach wherever he led. He didn’t say it because actions speak louder. He’d climb to the peak with Zach.
“I’m not sure what you mean.” Zach still appeared puzzled. “That seems an obvious point.”
“It’s the way you said it.” Adam sat up from his lounging position, put aside his coffee mug. “You didn’t say ‘you’ will have to carry ‘your’ children. You said ‘we.’ You made it everyone’s responsibility, not only something the parents had to think about themselves. That made us a group, all in it together and all one family. One tribe.”
He shook himself. Such a fanciful idea, but he couldn’t shake it.
“I didn’t think it through consciously like that,” Zach said. “Perhaps you’re right. It’s definitely a burden we should all share. There are more adults than children, and it would be harsh to expect someone to carry their child all day when other people can take a turn. It seemed the obvious practical solution.”
And in being practical, he’d been principled. I’ll follow him anywhere. Stand at his side and give him whatever he needs. Adam kissed him, an act driven by his own needs perhaps, but Zach seemed to appreciate it too. He stroked Adam’s hair, pulling his head closer.
A long, slow, gentle kiss. The kind of kiss Adam lived for. The kind of taking-it-easy kiss that told him he and his guy had all the time in the world. No rushing to come and go. The rest of the camp faded until there was only him and Zach and the soft night breeze. Only the touch of Zach’s hand and lips, the warmth of him.
When they broke apart, an hour might have passed, or no more than a minute.
“Now that was what I call a distraction,” Adam said. Zach didn’t speak, just leaned his forehead against Adam’s.
He spoke in barely a whisper. “I’m frightened, Adam. I keep it buried, but I’m so frightened.”
Because he knows he’s right, Adam thought. All these people are relying on him to keep them alive. He must be so afraid he’ll let them down.
“It’s okay. You aren’t alone. Me. Ann, Dr. Howie, Barbara, the Franes. Me. Oh and did I mention, me?”
The joke produced a smile, and then Zach took a deep breath and straightened up. “All that has made me thirsty. I’m going to fetch some water. Do you want some?”
“Yes, thanks.” When Zach went to get the water, Adam caught the eye of the dog sitting by the fire, watching him with a speculative expression. Either wondering about all the kissing stuff or hoping Adam had some food in his pockets.
“Sorry, friend. But if you keep watch while I distract Zach, I’ll find you a whole stack of cookies later.”
Zach came back with the water. “Who are you talking to?”
“Someone who can keep a secret.” Adam winked at the dog before leaning in to distract Zach again.
Chapter Thirteen
Zach had no trouble staying awake. Hard to get sleepy with another man’s tongue in your mouth. They sat on the grass, locked in each other’s arms, breaking apart to talk a little sometimes. Nonsense words, teasing about what they’d do to each other later. Sometimes they didn’t talk but nuzzled each other’s necks, ears, faces.
Only the knowledge they were surrounded by other people kept them from going further. At first it frustrated Zach, as arousal he couldn’t satisfy for two hours yet sent heat surging through him, making him sweat, making him blush. But after a while, he calmed down and started to appreciate the kissing for its own sake. He learned enough about the shape of Adam’s ears that if needed he would later be able to identify them while blindfolded, using only his lips.
The sound of someone moving around about twenty minutes into their watch made Zach pull away with a gasp. A sleepy-looking guy passed close to them with a muttered greeting. Zach glanced at Adam and saw that he wore the most amazing fake innocent expression. He looked like a man who’d been doing nothing more naughty out here than saying prayers. He didn’t even looked flushed, whereas Zach knew his own cheeks were boiling, and his lips felt swollen. Anyone old enough to understand these things would know how they’d been passing the time.
Adam petted the dog that had woken up from sleeping by the fire. When the sleepy man came back and passed them on the way to his tent, Adam waved at him.
“Good night, Mark.”
“Night,” the man said.
Zach turned to Adam, shaking his head. “Do you know everybody in Arius?”
“I have a good memory for faces and names.” He looked around, watching Mark vanish back into his tent. As soon as he did, Adam grabbed Zach and kissed him back into a state of delicious confusion.
A similar thing happened a couple more times, with people moving around and Zach and Adam pretending they were paying full attention to every sound and movement around them, until eventually Simon came to relieve them. While Adam went off to the latrine, Zach made a fresh pot of coffee for the next watch.
“How’s Amina managing?” he asked, handing a mug to Simon.
“She got a bit cranky today. The novelty’s worn off, and she’s missing her routine. Kids like their routine.”
Zach could relate. He liked his routine too, and he’d been out of it for days.
“So, are you and Adam planning on having kids?” Simon asked.
Zach stared. “Me and Adam?” Was he teasing? No, he looked entirely serious.
“You know, adopting or whatever.”
“Adam and I have only known each other a few days.”
“What? Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you guys had been together for a while.” He sipped his coffee, not meeting Zach’s eyes. “I guess I misunderstood. You two seem to work so well together I figured you were partners, you know.”
Torres arrived to join Simon on the watch, and he looked relieved to be rescued from the embarrassing conversation.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” Zach said, heading back to the tent. Their tent, his and Adam’s. He sat down in front of it and thought about what Simon had said. Had Simon misunderstood something someone—his wife maybe—had told him? He’d heard husbands listened selectively to their wives. Or had he concluded it from watching them together? Watching them working so well together.
But Zach worked well with Simon too and with Korrie and Dr. Howie. So was there something different about Adam? Because they were sleeping together? That gave them an extra intimacy clear to others. And Adam was quite demonstrative. Some of the people moving around during tonight’s watch must have seen them kissing, and Adam had kissed Zach publicly before he fled the meeting with Korrie. He held hands, touched Zach’s face or hair, put his arm around him, even when there were other people around. The gestures made Zach blush—not from embarrassment but from pleasure. He’d never been involved with someone so affectionate.
“Hey, big guy, you look far away there.”
Adam strolled up and stood with the firelight behind him turning his hair into a golden halo and casting his face into soft shadows. His pose was easy and casual, a man at home in his skin. A man both exciting and restful to the more nervy Zach.
“Adam, do you want to have children one day?”
Adam stared. “Wow. Where did that come from?”
“You don’t have to answer.” Too abrupt. Too personal. Too soon. But tomorrow might be too late. They might die. He wanted to know what Adam felt about this because he wanted to know everything about Adam.
Adam sat beside him. “You’re an odd guy, you know?”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I like it.”
Adam sat with
his knees up, elbows resting on them, one hand holding the opposite wrist. Such good hands he had. Strong and calloused from his work.
“It’s not something I’ve given a lot of thought to yet,” he said. “But yes, I do. One day. With the right person in my life to share that with.”
Person? Interesting choice of words. He wondered if Adam could be interested in women as well as men. He flirted with women, but those women included Professor Korrie, and he probably didn’t harbor a secret lust for her. If Adam were out here alone, he would probably flirt with the trees.
“I have a great family,” Adam went on. “I’d like to bring my kids into it one day.” He smiled at Zach. “And not only my kids.”
Heat burned Zach’s cheeks, as he felt sure he’d just been paid a high compliment. He wondered what Adam’s family was like. Livelier and louder than Zach’s more sedate family, he suspected.
“What about you?” Adam asked. “Do you want children?”
“I’m an only child. So there is some slight pressure from my parents to provide grandchildren.”
“I’ll bet,” Adam said with a chuckle. “They aren’t chasing you to find a wife, are they?” he asked, going more serious.
“No, nothing like that. They’ll be happy with however I arrange things—as long as I eventually do.”
“Your mom can’t wait to start knitting bootees, huh?”
“My mother’s a professor of pediatric clinical psychology. She’s more likely to chart every phase of the child’s development. You should see the journal she kept about me as a baby.”
Adam laughed. “I would think that beats baby pictures in the embarrassment stakes when you take people home.”
“It’s more embarrassing for her. The politest way to put it would be to say it lacks scientific objectivity. Unless I was, in fact, the most brilliant and beautiful baby ever born.”
“Oh, I have gotta see this journal one day.” Adam scrambled up and swatted his ass, brushing away leaves and grass. “Come on, we can’t stay up all night talking about babies.”
“You’re right, we should get some sleep.” Zach stood, coming into Adam’s waiting arms.
“I never said anything about sleeping.”
* * * *
“Turn out the light,” Zach said when they got inside their tent and sealed up the door.
With a sigh, Adam turned the lamp down low, just enough light to see what they were doing. If they didn’t want to provide a shadow-picture show for the rest of the camp, they’d have to make do with the small amount of light. A shame. He wanted to see Zach in the light. Wanted Zach to see him. Wanted their eyes to lock.
The lack of space made wriggling out of their clothes both tricky and fun. Two people sharing would usually take turns undressing in a tent this size, but they were sharing more than a tent. When Zach was naked, Adam pounced, pushing him down on the sleeping bag, supporting himself over him, a hand either side of his chest.
“Got you right where I want you, my pretty,” he said in a ridiculous pirate voice, making Zach snort with laughter.
“Is this role-play?”
“No, I left my eye patch and cutlass at home. Anyway, the only role I want to play is Mr. Adam Gray, the man sleeping with Dr. Zach Benesh.” He leaned down to drop a kiss on Zach’s lips before levering himself up again.
“This is no time for push-ups,” Zach said, stroking Adam’s arms, working his way up from wrists, over forearms, the points of the elbows, on up the biceps to the shoulders. The slow fingertip caress made Adam moan softly and shift on top of Zach, giving some space to his rapidly stiffening cock. He felt Zach’s shift too as it got the room, pressed against him.
“Adam,” Zach whispered, voice so serious. “I want you inside me.”
Adam couldn’t imagine any place he’d rather be. He moved away to find his jacket and rummage in the pocket for the lube he’d brought from Zach’s place. Would they get to have sex in a real bed again? Didn’t matter. He’d have sex with Zach on a bed of nails.
Zach turned on his front as Adam came back to him. Probably easier, though the chance of kicking down a tent pole and bringing the whole thing down on them was still there. He’d done that before and chuckled at the memory.
“What’s funny?” Zach asked, looking back at him.
“Nothing,” Adam said. “Tell you later.” He still had his pants on and managed to maneuver those off without knocking the tent down, only hoofing Zach in the side once. “Sorry.”
“You don’t have to beat me into submission. I’m quite willing. In fact, if you don’t get on with it, I’ll soon be rather beyond willing.”
Adam leaned down over him, spoke in his ear. “You’ll be more than willing in a minute; you’ll be begging for it.”
“I’m hearing a lot of talk and still not seeing any action. Oh!”
Now there was action as Adam slipped a lubed finger inside him. Zach stifled any follow-up to the exclamation, but he groaned loudly when Adam inserted a second finger. Having to stay quiet made it more intense somehow, Adam thought. As if their passion was crammed into a tiny space from which it wanted to burst out but couldn’t. Could only stay there, getting hotter and hotter while they made careful movements and only whispered of their pleasure.
Adam found Zach’s prostate, and Zach bit down on the sleeping bag, and his body moved rhythmically against Adam’s hand.
“Ready?” Adam asked.
“Please, Adam, please.”
Begging in a whisper. Strained and desperate and so sexy Adam could wait no longer. He moved closer to the lantern, and his erection made a monstrous shadow so close to the light. He giggled at it. Enough to intimidate a man. He turned the lantern off and maneuvered Zach onto his side, lay spooned behind him, and pushed into him slowly. Zach gasped and pulled one of Adam’s hands around, first just to cling to it as Adam filled him, inch by inch. But then he guided the hand to his cock. Exactly where the hand wanted to go.
Adam couldn’t thrust hard in this position, but he didn’t want to. He wanted to move slow, relish his first time inside Zach. Take the time to run his hand over his smooth, pale skin, kiss his shoulders and back. And stroke his cock, oh yes, he wanted to do that. Zach wrapped his hand around Adam’s, not stroking, sort of along for the ride. What a ride!
Adam buried his nose in Zach’s hair, which smelled of sweat and lingering traces of shampoo. He needed a shower, but the scent wasn’t unpleasant yet. Just primal somehow. His unique scent Adam felt the need to bond to. To fix on like a mother knew the scent of her child or a dog his master.
That made him open his eyes, and his hand faltered for a moment. I’m not Zach’s dog.
“Adam? Are you okay?” Concern tinged Zach’s whisper.
“Yes.” Adam realized he’d stopped his slow thrusts. “Fine. Way more than fine.” He wasn’t Zach’s dog. He walked at Zach’s side, not at his heels. Shaking away the unfortunate thought, he moved again, hand and hips, a little harder, making Zach groan.
“Harder,” Zach said. “Please. Harder.”
Adam rolled Zach onto his front, covering him and giving himself more to push against. His thrusts grew harder and faster as the pressure built inside himself. He’d lose control soon, he knew. Even he could take it slow and easy for only so long, and he’d gone well past that point. Zach writhed and gasped under him, unable to get his hand to his cock. I’ll take care of you too, don’t you worry, Adam silently promised.
Zach bit into the sleeping bag. By the time this trip ended, Adam thought it would look like a dog had savaged it. He had nothing to silence him, and he’d always been pretty vocal. Nobody liked to bounce all over the bed and shout about what a good time he was having more than Adam did. But he managed to keep all the bursting energy inside, where it fanned the flames of the heat burning up every inch of his skin. Sweat broke out as if all the yells he was silencing turned into water and burst from his pores instead.
His climax exploded from him, spread like a wildfire,
down every nerve and capillary, escaping from his skin with his sweat until the air around him seemed filled with his pleasure. He breathed it. He tasted it.
He found himself lying across Zach’s back, panting, barely aware of collapsing, and he heard the soft moan which told him Zach still needed some attention. At once he got off and rolled Zach onto his back. His cock was still hard, and dark against his pale skin. Adam swallowed it up. He didn’t mind the awkward position, just plunged down and took it in as if he’d been waiting for this chance. He had been. Since the first time, he’d longed to taste it again.
Zach lay back, a forearm across his eyes, the other hand on Adam’s head, buried in his hair, gripping it convulsively but not hard enough to make Adam stop. Couldn’t stop. Zach was already so close. Adam took the cock in deep, into his throat, and Zach’s body shuddered in climax. Adam tasted the climax as he’d fancifully thought he’d tasted his own in the air. No fancy this time. He tasted the salt, the other unidentifiable tastes that were Zach, felt the warmth flood his mouth and throat. Zach collapsed back with a long moan, limp as a noodle, and Adam flopped down beside him.
“Adam,” Zach said. “Would you do something for me?”
“You might have to wait a few minutes,” Adam said. “I’m not seventeen, you know.”
He felt Zach laughing silently and put a hand on his chest to feel it shake. In the dimness, Zach turned to him, and Adam could just make out his features, the glint of his eyes, the flash of his teeth.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Could you check outside the tent and make sure the island didn’t sink while we were doing it?” Zach asked. “Because I don’t think I’d have noticed.”
Adam joined in the laughter and gathered Zach into his arms to kiss his laughing mouth, silencing the laugh, feeling a smile take its place.
“That was so good,” Zach said, so close his words were a breeze against Adam’s face. “Thank you.”
“You certainly are the most well-mannered boyfriend I’ve ever had. Always saying please and thank you.”
