by Sy Walker
When they arrived at their room’s door, Jameson stuck the key-card in the slot and opened up the door, stepping aside so Jake could enter. They were both still wearing their packs on their backs, but Jake took his off and set it down with a plop onto the floor near the queen-sized bed.
There was only one bed in this room.
That surprised him. He figured that the people in this town wouldn’t be so ready to just have two young men room together for the night. Maybe they assumed they were brothers? Two very different-looking brothers…
“I think I’ll take a shower,” Jameson said, letting his pack fall off of his shoulders near the other side of the bed – the side closest to the room’s one window. Jake would be close to the closet, and the door. “When I get out, let’s go somewhere. Don’t forget I owe you a drink.”
Jake chuckled and took his phone out of his pocket, plugging it into the wall to charge. While he was at it, he charged his extra batteries too.
Jameson was modest enough to go into the bathroom and shut the door before disrobing. Jake was relieved and also minorly disappointed about that. He would have blushed and felt awkward, but a part of him – a specific, throbbing part of him – would have enjoyed seeing Jameson naked.
While the other man was in the shower, Jake peeled off his jeans and tank top, changing into some clean jeans and a fresh shirt so he at least would not be wearing the sweaty, trail-weary outfit he’d been wearing since sunrise. He could give Jameson at least that much courtesy. He would shower before bed, he thought. That way, he’d be good to go in the morning.
As soon as Jameson was out of the shower – back in his clothes from before, with his dark hair all dripping and shaggy-looking – they headed out in search of a bar, finally opting for what was easiest and most likely safest; they went into the hotel’s bar.
Jameson was good on his word and bought Jake a scotch and soda, ordering a martini for himself.
“Ooh, a sophisticated drinker, aren’t you?” Jake teased him.
Smirking, Jameson carefully clinked his glass against Jake’s. They each took a long drag of their alcohol.
The scotch burned in Jake’s throat in a way that he did not entirely need. He was glad that he’d opted for it to be combined with soda instead of just drinking it straight.
“Could we please have two waters here, too?” he asked the bar tender. “We’re hiking the trail.”
“Of course,” the bar tender said, nodding his head politely. He filled two glasses with ice water.
Jake felt a little disappointed that the man wasn’t more impressed. “He probably gets hikers here all the time.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” Jameson agreed. “He’s probably sick of hikers.”
Jake took a slow drink of the wonderful water. Some of it dribbled on his chin, but he didn’t care. Except when he noticed that Jameson was smiling at him in a way that almost seemed… adoring?
Could Jameson adore him as much as Jake felt like he was starting to adore him?
He took another sip of scotch and soda in order to give it more thought. The scotch didn’t hurt his throat as much that time.
“When I asked you before,” he said, doing his best to clarify, “what I meant was… do you have a boyfriend waiting for you back home? Or a girlfriend? I won’t judge you if you do.”
Jameson stuck his tongue out at him. “I’ve never had a girlfriend. And I don’t have a boyfriend, no. Not anymore.”
Jake breathed a sigh of relief that he hoped Jameson merely thought of as breathing. “I just ended a relationship that lasted for years… Way longer than it should have. So, I’m single too.”
He looked Jameson in the eyes. He raised his eyebrows. He was not usually the one trying to make the first move.
Luckily, Jameson was no novice and caught on with what he was doing. “Are you hungry?”
“Not right now,” Jake replied.
“Yeah, I think I’d rather nap first.”
They continued to look at each other seductively, even when they sipped their beverages. Even when some more drink dripped down Jake’s pointy chin, causing Jameson to laugh in his pleasant sort of way.
Glasses empty, Jameson tipped the bar tender and they headed back upstairs to their room.
CHAPTER THREE
The Pull-back
Once they made it back into their room, Jameson let the hefty metal door close with a loud slam, not caring about bothering anyone at the moment. He grabbed ahold of the front neckline of Jake’s tank top and pushed him into the wall in their room’s small entryway. He kissed him passionately, forcing his long, adept tongue into Jake’s mouth even though the shorter man freely allowed its passage anyway.
Jake felt like he surely must be dreaming. He brought his hands up and dug his fingers into Jameson’s thick, dark curls. Making out in hotel room doorways… That was not something Jake had put onto his ATR to-do list. But he was not complaining at all.
Before long, Jameson had Jake’s jean shorts unzipped and down around his ankles. He yanked Jake’s dark blue boxers down, rolling his palms over Jake’s hips and then massaging them as they continued to make out. Then, Jameson got onto his knees in front of Jake.
It was not going to take much in the way of foreplay. Jake’s cock was already standing at attention.
Jameson took it into his mouth, running his tongue against it and kissing up and down Jake’s shaft.
Jake stood up straight, holding onto the wall behind him to keep himself steady. He closed his eyes, giving into the sensation. Fuck, it had been a long time since he’d received a blow job. His ex had always insisted on receiving them but didn’t care to give them himself. The funny thing was, now that Jameson was going down on him, he couldn’t seem to remember his ex’s name.
A funny thing.
“Oh god!” Jake shouted. He came into Jameson’s mouth and panicked, but Jameson smirked as he sucked it all down.
Then he licked his lips and grinned.
He could not have been sexier.
“I think my heart’s about to fly out of my chest,” Jake said, panting and blinking hard as his mind filled with a rush of nothing but good feelings.
Jameson laughed. “Well, don’t die yet.” He took Jake by the hand and brought him to the bed. They worked together to get the taller man’s clothes off of him, covering the floor in a trail of hiking clothes. At least Jameson’s were somewhat freshened from his shower.
Momentarily, Jake worried that he was dirty. Then he realized that Jameson liked that he was dirty. Jameson pushed Jake onto the bed once they’d removed all of his clothing. Jake stared at Jameson’s long, thick cock and blushed a bit. He was uncircumcised. For some reason, he suspected that this was going to be even better because of that detail.
Thank Jameson’s parents!
Jameson climbed onto the bed and moved between Jake’s legs. He kissed Jake’s inner thighs, then bit his left one slightly, keeping it playful and not painful. He produced a condom that he’d somehow surreptitiously pulled from the recesses of his shorts, and carefully unrolled it onto his erect penis.
“Nothing to be scared of now,” he said softly, looking into Jake’s eyes in a way that suggested that was possibly not fully true.
Slowly, he climbed on top of Jake and kissed him deeply, pressing his cock into Jake’s ass.
“Mmmph,” Jake moaned, eyes widening. This, he was more used to though he wasn’t used to such a big partner. He wrapped his legs around Jameson’s waist. “Fucking take me!”
There was something about the way Jameson fucked him that was both hot and gentle. He was forceful, yet careful not to overdo it or hurt Jake. After a few minutes of dominating him on top, Jameson closed his eyes and thrust faster, stretching Jake in a way that he’d be feeling for a while.
“Turn around,” he suddenly instructed, slapping Jake on the hip and pulling out of him.
Jake turned around as he was told and assumed the standard doggie-style position, only to see that Jam
eson was shaking his head and smirking. The bigger man grabbed ahold of Jake’s upper body and lifted it so he was pressed up against the wall at the head of their bed, holding onto the headboard for some leverage.
“There you go,” Jameson said, in a mock-condescending voice.
It could have been condescending for all Jake cared.
Jameson began fucking him with wild abandon in that position. Jake held onto the wooden headboard for dear life. They moaned and groaned together, enjoying themselves perhaps more than they should have, considering the fact that they were strangers.
“Fffuck me, Jake,” Jameson murmured. He bit his bottom lip and then, speeding up, came while inside of him. “Aaaaooooo!” he yelled almost like Warren Zevon, holding onto Jake both to steady himself and also because he wanted to hold him.
As soon as he’d calmed down enough, Jameson pulled out and went into the bathroom. He kept the door open, cleaning up his cock and removing the spent condom. He wrapped it in some toilet paper and threw it into the bathroom’s trashcan.
It would give the maids quite a story, if they noticed it.
Thinking, he grabbed some toilet paper and brought it out so Jake could clean up as well.
“I think I’ll take a shower now,” Jake said, feeling shy all of a sudden. Now that there was very little to be shy about. He went into the bathroom and took a hot shower, scrubbing off the dirt and cum that was on him.
For the first time in a long time, Jake was struck by the potential of this situation. They were strangers, except they were somehow drawn to each other in a way that Jake could neither describe nor explain. He wondered if it was too soon to ask Jameson if he wanted to be his boyfriend. Jake was not used to being the one who asked such things. He was used to being the passive one.
Jameson had certainly been the dominant one in bed. Perhaps he was reaching the same conclusion as Jake, and would ask instead.
Sleeping together that night afterwards was no problem. Jake was so knackered from getting up early and hiking that he fell asleep practically as soon as his head hit the pillow. Jameson, on the other hand, spent much of the night lying in bed and gazing out of the window at the glowing moon.
The following morning, Jameson was already dressed and ready to go when Jake woke up. He smiled at Jameson, but the other man seemed distracted and maybe even a little agitated.
“We should probably get going,” Jameson said. “Let’s hit the convenience store I saw on the way in before we hit the trail. I’m sure they’ve got breakfast bars.”
Jake pouted a little, but did as he was bid. He put on some fresh jean shorts, and a red t-shirt. His pack felt extra heavy on his back after last night’s fun. He also felt like his body might be regretting that drink. Especially his head.
They bought some chocolate and nut fitness bars that were loaded with calories for energy but were otherwise in no way going to be filling. Even though Jameson was still with him, Jake felt like he was distancing himself now.
Once they got back out onto the trail, it became more apparent. Jameson walked ahead of Jake and avoided talking to him. He was walking like he had someplace to be. Jake did not know what had happened. He only knew that he was sad that whatever they had shared last night seemed to be over now.
Jameson sighed after Jake’s third attempt to meet back up with him and stay beside him. “Look, Jake…” He sighed again. Whatever was wrong must have been a big deal, since he was sighing so much. “Maybe it’s best if we don’t hike together anymore. I’m sorry.”
He picked up speed without giving Jake any explanation, and Jake let him go.
Resuming the hike as though nothing had changed within him and nothing had happened; Jake did his best to keep going even though he felt sad, confused and abandoned. He did not eat the fitness bar that Jameson had bought for him. He wanted to keep it as a memento. There were going to be plenty of rest stops where he could pick up breakfast, or lunch, or dinner.
Jake did not feel like eating anything at the moment.
He’d lost his appetite.
Whenever the people up ahead crossed the line into the next state, they would let out a loud, excited “WOO!” At first, Jake thought it was funny and kind of charming. But now it only annoyed him. Didn’t these people have anything better to be excited about? Seeing a state sign did not make him lose his shit. He would not really be celebrating until he made it to Maine.
And, even then, what did he have to look forward to? There’d be nothing then except the slow ride home in Olga’s car and then the daunting task of taking all this on again down to Georgia.
He was feeling depressed about losing Jameson. He knew he’d done something to upset him, he just didn’t know what. And being alone out there on the ATR was the last place a person should be when they’re depressed.
Nothing made that more clear than when Jake went into a town for supplies, and ran into Ivan. His ex.
CHAPTER FOUR
Beaten & Bewildered
As soon as Jake stepped out of the 7-11 and back onto the trail with a packaged sandwich and a slushy in hand, he was met by Ivan. His ex-boyfriend pushed into him and knocked him to the ground. It seemed that Ivan had been hiding in the bushes somewhere near the trail, watching and waiting to attack.
Sandwich and slushy went flying into the grass somewhere. Jake couldn’t see where. He was too busy being punched in the face.
“Yeah? How do you like this?” Ivan said threateningly, hitting him hard in the chest and face. “This is what you get when you leave me, you fucking cock-sucking asshole.”
Jake could taste blood. His lip was bleeding. It felt like his brow was bleeding too. Still, he smirked as best as he could, trying to take a defiant approach. He was not going to live in fear of his ex anymore. He’d made that promise to himself as soon as he left for the trail.
“Cock-sucker is such a stupid insult,” he said, his voice gravelly from having the wind knocked out of him repeatedly. “It’s like, yeah, I suck cocks. It’s fun and it makes people happy. It made you happy once. It’s like me calling you ‘ass-fucker.’ So?”
“RRRAHH!” Ivan yelled, slamming his fist into the side of Jake’s head a few times.
Jake felt like he was going to lose consciousness at any moment.
This was why they said to never hike alone.
Suddenly, there came a loud howl. It sounded like a wolf was nearby. Very nearby.
A large, grey wolf jumped out of the brush and into Ivan, throwing him off of Jake. The wolf growled and snarled, biting at Ivan’s arms. Finally, Ivan managed to crawl away. He stood up as soon as he could and headed for the hills.
The wolf stayed there, panting and looking pleased with itself. It licked the blood from its snout as best as it could, turning and coming over to Jake.
“Are you all right?” the wolf asked him. The wolf spoke in Jameson’s soft voice, and looked at him with Jameson’s same, piercing blue eyes.
Jake felt as though he had stumbled into the pages of The Jungle Book. He did the only thing that he thought he should do. He fainted.
When he came to, Jake was lying on top of his sleeping bag. Jameson was close at hand, cooking something in a small pot over a small fire. A tent was built, and Jake realized it was his. Jameson had obviously made use of his pack while he was passed out. Resourceful.
“What?” Jake asked, confused to actually see Jameson again. He attempted to sit up and touched his forehead, feeling something soft and padded there.
“Don’t try to sit up,” Jameson cautioned. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you had a concussion or something. Do you think you have a concussion?”
Jake shrugged a little. Even that motion hurt. “Can a whole body have a concussion?”
Jameson laughed quietly. “Not likely.” He brought the pot over and held it close for Jake so he could drink from it. “Careful, it’s hot.” He spooned some of the contents into Jake’s mouth.
“What is this?”
“Soup,” Jam
eson replied. “I don’t know which kind you like, so I made tomato soup and added some veggie dogs into it.”
Jake chuckled. “Veggie dogs.”
“You’re lucky I heard the shouting,” Jameson said. “I was only a little ahead and I heard that jerk yelling. When I came closer, I saw him on you. A friend of yours?”
“Oh, yeah, we’re pals,” Jake said, amused. Despite Jameson’s warning, he sat up so the soup would go down easier. His head was spinning, but he felt better than he thought he would. “Wait, you came and saw that?”
Jameson nodded. “I scared him off. You might not have noticed because—”
“You were the wolf?” Jake asked. At first he asked it sarcastically. The wolf had of course been imagined. But when Jameson looked at him with a slightly pained expression, he realized that it was true. It had really happened. “Oh my god.”
“I’m sorry,” Jameson said, carefully spooning more soup into Jake’s mouth. “I would have told you, it’s just that… Well… For starters, it would have gotten that reaction.” He smirked shyly at him.
Jake regarded Jameson. Sweet, sexy Jameson. Jake thought he hated him, but he was actually afraid of scaring him off. “But it got that reaction and I’m still here,” Jake pointed out. He reached over and placed his hand on Jameson’s. They held the spoon together now.
They were spooning.
“You won’t still be with me when you see it happen more frequently,” Jameson said. “You won’t still want to hang around me when you see how bloodthirsty and frightening I can get.”
Jake lowered the spoon and – in effect – Jameson’s arm as well. He looked into his eyes. “Bloodthirsty?” he asked. “Frightening?” He let out a giggle-type laugh. “Sounds hot to me.”
Jameson looked at Jake in disbelief. He had thought that, perhaps, Jake would be sort of accepting of things, especially now that he had saved his life. But he didn’t expect Jake to think his being a werewolf was attractive.
