Please see original story (www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/camping/canvas-hell/) for warnings and copyright. Highlights: All fiction. All rights reserved. Includes sex between young-adult men. Go away if any of that is against your local rules. Practice safer sex than my characters. Write if you like, but flamers end up in the nasty bits of future stories. Donate to Nifty TODAY at donate.nifty.org/donate.html to keep the cum coming.
I curled around Jim like we'd done this all our lives. Trey seemed really restless but, as suddenly as a snapped finger, was out. Jim followed quickly and I was in my 'if I pretend to sleep maybe I really will' mode. Perhaps ten minutes passed and I just barely heard Nate whisper something. Karl, for whom whispers were not exactly a strong suit, replied, "I don't mind, really. Let me kick these off." Some rustling left no doubt that he'd just shucked his shorts; he'd apparently given Nate permission to explore and I was picturing that as I drifted away.
Canvas Hell 32: Rhythm of the Rain
By Bear Pup
T/T; self-discovery - Friday
I woke to an insistent nudging at my shoulder. The dark was near-absolute and the rain was a steady pounding on the walls of Tent Canvas Hell. A slightly darker patch of blackness whispered, "Red? Patrick? Um, c-c-c-can you help me?" It was Trey.
"Shhhhhhhure," I yawned. "What's happening?"
"I, uh, I gotta go, Red. There wasn't time before bed and it hasn't stopped raining. I really c-c-c-c-can't wait any longer." I could hear what that admission took from our young and easily-intimidated friend.
"Oh," yawn, "number one or number two?"
"One!"
"Good. K. Commere." Yawn. I turned him until he was facing and right up against the tent flaps. "You trust me, Trey?"
"Um, yeah?" Okay, perhaps a bit less confidence that I would have hoped for. Yawwwwwwn.
"Ah'm gonna touch, ya know down there. Nothing funny, swear. Just stay still til I tell ya." Leonine yawn that shook my whole body. I pulled his tighty-whities down under his balls and heard him hiss in a breath. I undid a single tent-strap and pushed his dick through the gap into the cold, wet night. He yelped softly. "K. Piss."
"Whu?"
"Jess let go." Yawn again. I felt him wriggle then a huge sigh left his lungs as the floodgates opened down below. I nearly fell back to sleep twice before he finished. I pulled him back inside, quick-tied the flap and tucked his shorts back up, absently wiping the rain on my hand -- I hope it was rain -- off on my own shorts. I was back in the bag, wrapped around Jim and out before I heard Trey move from the canvas.
The rain has slackened to a mere misery by what would have been dawn. We took turns peeking out at the depressing wetness, deciding whether to wait or make a run for the Hygiene Hut. I finally, said, "To hell with it." I grabbed clean, dry clothes and wrapped them in my poncho, then wiggled into the damp, dirty clothes from the previous night. Jim followed suit and then Karl. Trey and Nate, though, were kinda stuck. They dourly got dressed just enough and made a break for the Cabins as the three of us headed over the Hygiene Hut.
The day didn't get better. We were barely inside the door before we heard very... educational language coming from the area by the laundry where the giant furnace sat, among other things, heating the water. We peeked around the corner and saw the lower halves of George and Lloyd sticking out at odd angles and clanking, banging and blue-streak cussing emerged.
"Um? George?"
A whack-BANG followed by a word-balloon filled with all the characters at the top of the keyboard erupted. I found myself wishing I'd brought a note pad; these were really good words! A grease-monkey face emerged. George took one look and heaved a massive sigh, muttering, "Should'a known.
"What can we do for you men this morning?"
"Um, we know there's no hot water," George rolled his eyes as Jim continued, "but will it mess anything up if we use the showers anyway?"
"Won't make any difference to the boiler. Might freeze off your... anyway. No, no problem. Anything else?"
Jim shook his head and George crawled back in and resumed an obscenity-laced conversation with Lloyd. I would be in my thirties before I knew what some of those terms actually meant. That day, though, the three of us discovered a new secret. When you are cold, wet and miserable, a cold shower doesn't suck any less but you care a lot less. We each jumped into the frigid spray then out to soap up, then back in to rinse. We were all three rather blue when we finished and started drying ourselves and each other with the teeny-towels.
Just as we were dressing, George came out, actually smiling. "Apparently, I was wrong. It did make a difference. With the water flowing through, we were able to find the problem." He got a profound note in his voice, "You soldiers made a great sacrifice so that the rest of the men can shower in comfort. Your bravery will be duly noted. Congratulations. Dismissed!" He snapped off a melodramatic salute. We laughed and headed toward the Mess Hall as trickles of bedraggled guys started heading into the Hygiene Hut.
"So, um, Karl?" I wasn't really sure how to ask everything I wanted to, so decided to start with the obvious. "I guess without the thunder it wasn't bad last night?"
"No." His voice was contemplative. "Normally, yeah, I'd lay awake all night waiting for the bangs, you know? But... I slept really well."
Jim spoke up. In any other tone, what he said would have been taunting or even insulting. "It's better when someone else is there."
"Nothing happened, you know." Karl was a little defensive.
"We know, Karl. I can't explain it, either. It just seems so much... I don't know. Safer, maybe?" Karl nodded slowly. He stopped under a tree. It wasn't drier but seemed... sheltered anyway.
"I let him, uh, touch me. You know? Last night?"
"Yeah," I said softly, "I know. I heard. I thought that was really nice of you to, you know, let him."
His voice was far away again. "It was so... different. When you guys were t-t-touching me, it was, you know, touching. With Nate it was, I mean, just touching. Oh hell. That makes no sense."
"Actually," I said meditatively, "it does. He wanted to know what you felt like, big muscles and hair and all. He really idolizes you. He wants to be you. He wanted to see what he needed to become, what his, well, his perfect guy felt like. It wasn't about pleasure, his or yours, but curiosity. Does that sound right?"
Karl visibly unclenched. "Yeah. Yeah, it does." We continued to the Mess Hall and got there about the time the adults were gathering. As usual, we sat as far away as possible to give them privacy. Dr Eaglas excused himself and came over.
"So, you two," looking from Karl to Jim, "did okay in the storm, then?" Karl blushed hard but nodded. Jim smiled and thanked him. "You're good men, and I'm glad. I'm afraid this is going to be a pretty miserable day or two yet. This is the remains of some big tropical storm from the south and it's supposed to just sit here. Keep your spirits up, though. Camp can be fun even without the organized activities." There might have been a subtle hook in that line that we all pointedly ignored. With a thump on Karl's shoulder, Dr Eaglas headed back to the adults' table.
The place started to fill up with the other early risers, and we spotted a cleaned-up George and Lloyd make their way to the coffee, George giving me the head-bob that told me our secret drinks were available. I went and got them, doctoring mine and leaving Karl's untouched. About then, Trey and Nate yawned their way into the tent. I had never seen either of them look so nervous. Nate wouldn't look at Karl at all and Trey looked like he thought I was an axe murderer. A fleeting image of yawn whilst holding Trey's cocklet through the tent flap came up. Right. Forgot about that.
I made sure I spoke in a way Trey had to be able to hear me after yawning widely. "God, I slept well last night. I don't think I woke up once." Trey's head snapped around. "Anyone know if there was, you know, lightning and stuff? I was out like a light!"
Trey swallowed about six times. "I, uh, woke up once. I had t-t-t-t-t-to, um, go?"
Jim looked from me to Trey and asked, "So what did you do?"
"I, uh," Trey blushed crimson, "stuck it through the flap and, well, you know." Nate started to giggle, then Karl got the image and both were cracking up and Trey looked so relieved that it was comical. Chef rang the triangle and we joined the line. Jim got in my way so we were a couple people behind the other three.
"Dr Eaglas is right, you know," he muttered where only I could hear, "you really are a very, very good man."
"Wuh?!?"
Jim smiled, "You seriously think you can jostle me around enough to get out of a sleeping bag, help Trey out and get back in and I wouldn't wake up?" I let my eyes flick back and forth between his sparkling pools. "You did a good thing this morning, Red, a really good thing."
"About that. When did I become Red?"
Jim's head snapped back. "You're kidding, right?" I shook my head. "Karl and I are the only ones who have called you anything else since the first swimming and lifesaving lesson. Nate and Trey do it because they think it makes them part of the group. Absolutely everyone else calls you Red."
"What do you mean, everyone else? You mean people t-t-t-t-talk about me? ME? WHY?"
"You really don't look around much, do you? And you sure as hell don't listen, even to Nate and Trey! You and Karl are, like, pop stars around camp. I mean, the Bugger thing? Getting Willie to sing? Letting Nate and Trey and, well, me hang around? The Sq-Sq-Sq-Squirrel? And Steaking across the camp nude? I don't think anyone but Karl is as... What?"
I was standing there with my jaw unhinged, mortified beyond words or even thought. Jim chivvied me through the line as those behind us were getting restless. To give you an idea just how gobsmacked I was, I took a large slice of oatmeal and a ladleful of bacon without thinking. Luckily, Jim also got me some fruit and cereal. As it turned out, the oatmeal wasn't too bad... other than needing a knife and fork to eat it. I guess enough butter and sugar over anything and it works.
I sat down and nailed Nate with my gaze. "Do people talk about me?" Nate looked terrified at my tone and looked to the rest for help. Jim was folded over in mirth and the others were clueless.
"Well, um, yeah. But all good stuff! I mean... you're Red!"
"Oh, godddddddddd!"
Jim couldn't take it anymore and burst out in his SCHNORK-hur-hur-hur laugh. When everyone pulled it together he leant in toward Nate and said, "He really thinks he's nobody. The idea that people even know he's there freaks him out. That he's some sort of folk hero--"
"Oh, godddddddddd!"
"--sent him over the edge. I haven't had the guts to tell him what people say about the snake."
Trey jumped in excitedly, "Oh, man, the SNAKE? Was it REALLY six feet long? And poisonous, Red? How DID you save those three guys it was attacking?"
"Oh, godddddddddd!"
Even Karl was laughing now, and hero-worship Nate whispered wonderingly, "And, um, Karl? Did you really put those other two of Winner's gang in the hospital? That's what people said!" Have you ever heard a laugh stop mid-ha? Karl's jaw dropped. "Oh. Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. They weren't, um," Nate's voice dropped to a whisper, "REALLY in comas, were they?"
As if our heads were on swivels, both of us turned to Jim with eyes of flame. "Hey, guys. Um, really. Don't-- Hey! Major's gonna talk. Hush everybody." Relief poured off him in waves as he got at least a slight reprieve.
"Good morning, men. As you can tell, the rain is going to be with us for at least the rest of the day. The following activities have been cancelled: Canoeing, Fishing, Tracking, Swimming, Lifesaving and Archery. The following have been moved to the Mess Hall: Orientation, Campfire Cooking, Forestry, Birdwatching. The rest will be held as normal: Fitness, Leatherworking, Woodworking, Macramé, Wilderness Survival.
"If you have one of the craft activities but aren't scheduled for today, you may want to work on your project. Pick up your item and tools from the Activities Pavilion before the first session. Dr Eaglas will be hosting a day-long 'storytelling' drop-in at his office. The Leaders will be hosting a drop-in sing-along in Cabin 5. Fitness will be held in Cabin 6. If you're in one of those cabins and don't like fitness or singing, you'll need to find another place to hang out during free time. If you have buddies in other Cabins, I suggest that you meet up with them. You can expect the Mess Hall and Activities Pavilion to be absolutely packed.
"I have one other note: It is likely to be raining like this tomorrow as well. Since Campfire Cooking will be using the Mess Hall, Chef has decided to let the Leaders and that class feed us for the next two days and, of course, Sunday is his normal day off." There was a ragged but enthusiastic cheer. The Major put a harsh note of remonstrance in his voice, "Luckily he already left or I'm sure he would be less than pleased with your reaction." Very few of the guys looked abashed, including the adults who'd joined the cheer. "If you have cooking skills like being able to peel a potato without inflicting bodily harm on yourself or others, I'm sure your assistance would be appreciated here in the Mess Hall at any time today."
With that, he dismissed us to finish breakfast Jim tried to flee but was sandwiched between Karl and I instantly. Nate and Trey were torn between coming with us and going to the Storytelling thing, indecision that vanished like smoke when Karl said with real menace, "S'okay. We need to 'chat' with Jim." Nate and Trey practically left contrails in their haste to depart.
Jim pointedly tied the tent flaps wide open when we got to Tent Canvas Hell. Apparently, he was trying to emphasize that someone might witness his murder if we didn't like what we heard. Karl and I gave a united and probably terrifying joint scowl and Jim started to babble like brook.
"Okay. This is not my fault. Well not entirely. I only added two stories. The Sq-Sq-Squirrel and the Steaking. Swear ta God! And that was the very first night that you, you know, let me be around you! You were already getting noticed over the Winner thing! And everybody was all impressed that you let me tag along and, you know, that you talked to me. I was a celebrity cuz I had a cool story! Honest! After that, I just listened!"
"You? You as in Jim? You. Just. Listened?" Karl's voice was thunder held back, the distant sound of a stampede approaching across the plains. Not a threat of impending death... yet.
"I swear!" he gulped, "well, sometimes I, you know, helped stuff along. Just added color! You know that some guys are just terrible at stories! I mean, the snake thing. It didn't sound near as good until I, you know, might have mentioned the fangs! I never said poison -- that was someone else -- just fangs!" Karl growled and Jim fell instantly silent.
"And Karl's stories? Did you add color to those?" I asked.
"Oh, God, no! I swear. I mean, they didn't need them! Karl is, like, a superhero! You heard Nate and the Canoe Race, and he wasn't even close to you guys yet! And everyone, everyone believes it. They think you swamped SEA HIMSELF that day, last I heard, with your wake! Then Nate and you in the Kayak? They say Nate was holding on for dear life you went so fast. And I had nothing to do with the Bugger story... well, other than the name Buggers and what it meant. I swear. They think you beat Mikey with a TREE, Karl. I swear, I had nothing to do with that!"
"Go on." In The Hobbit, Smaug once said, 'My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail is a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!' That was nearly as terrifying as the two words that Karl growled, "Go on." Even I shivered.
"No, really, nothing else! I mean... nothing real. One of the guys said that Karl can see through the water and that's how he got Lifesaving things right about where the extra guy was, but everyone laughed. Well, almost everyone. Well, some of the guys at least." Jim's voice trailed off.
"You. Sit. Say nothing." Jim got about half a letter into a response before Karl growled and Jim fell utterly silent. Karl looked at me. I just shrugged, then giggled then roared with laughter. Karl finally broke and start to laugh as well. I think Jim may have wet himself a little as he realized he wasn't going to die... yet.
The rest of the morning was fun, for Karl and me at least. All of us worked on our carving. Any time Jim tried to speak, Karl growled, which made me laugh. I mean, Jim? Silent for nearly three hours? He was beside himself. What made it worse was, well, me. I kept starting conversations that I knew Jim would kill to jump into than, "GRRRR," and Jim would whimper and got back to carving. A few minutes later, a quick, 'so what do you think about...' then, "GRRRR," and I thought Jim would actually, physically explode, spewing brain matter all over the inside of Tent Canvas Hell.
Karl released him from the Growl of Silence when we left for lunch and Jim sounded like he needed to fill the world with words. Karl and I just rolled our eyes and let the word-wave wash over us. The Campfire Cooks had kept it extremely simple for lunch. Both the hot and cold options went on fire-toasted hamburger buns. Cold was a club sandwich (ham, turkey and bacon with normal fixins) and the hot was Sloppy Joes. Ruffles were the universal side order. Everything was so popular they actually ran out of food.
Afterward, we trooped over to the Activity Pavilion and set about the work on our wallets in Leatherworking. The Major was right; it was insanely crowded. Karl and I put on the fakest-possible looks of sadness when the wind really picked up and the rain started blowing everywhere just as the triangle rang. You see, Karl and I had a Free Period; Jim had... Wilderness Survival. It is very, very wrong to gloat over the misfortune of a friends. We felt so very guilty -- really we did -- as we guffawed our way back to Tent Canvas Hell over the mournful look on Jim's face.
About halfway there, Karl announced. "I'm all jittery with this rain and nothing to do. I'm going to crash the Fitness class and do some exercises. Want to join?" I gave him a look that clearly communicated my thought that he'd been dropped on his head as an infant. Karl laughed, "Thought not. See ya later."
So, I found myself alone in Tent Canvas Hell, one flap pulled and the other open to get some air flow, listening to the storm bully the forest and camp around me. I (briefly) regretted not joining Karl as I was restless as well. I couldn't read, even, much less work on the carving or the wallet. I thought about jacking off and was shocked to the core when I realized that it, well, wasn't enough anymore. Without Jim there, it seemed... hollow.
I found myself instead staring out at the rain, thinking about Jim and hearing echoes some of the songs my Mom loved that seemed apropos.
'Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain, telling me just what a fool I've been.'
'Let it rain, let it rain, Let your love rain down on me. Let it rain, let it rain. Let it rain, rain, rain.'
'Long as I remember the rain been coming down. Clouds of myst'ry pouring confusion on the ground. Good men through the ages, trying to find the sun; and I wonder, still I wonder, who'll stop the rain.'
'Seems it never rains in southern California. Seems I've often heard that kind of talk before. It never rains in California, but girl, don't they warn ya? It pours, man, it pours'
'Raindrops keep falling on my head, but that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red. Crying's not for me 'cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin'. Because I'm free, nothing's worrying me.'
'I've seen fire and I've seen rain. I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end. I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I'd see you again.'
Whatever it was about rain that made me think of Jim, it apparently was pretty universal. The song that stuck, over and over, though, just made me smile. 'Oh, I hear laughter in the rain, walking hand in hand with the one I love. Oh, how I love the rainy days and the happy way I feel inside.' Even sitting alone and watching the drops fall, it felt like Jim was there with me. And suddenly, he was.
And he was PISSED. Apparently, surviving in the wilderness involved finding ways to climb up a muddy bank in the streaming, pouring, pissing-down rain that seemed to have so little to do with 'nothing's worrying me,' or, 'let it rain, rain, rain,' and especially not, 'the happy way I feel inside.' Jim gave a passable impression of Karl's Smaug Growl as he yanked various things out of his pack and stomped off to the Hygiene Hut.
Karl got back just after a slightly-mollified Jim did (the shower had done a lot to bring the cheerful friend out of the wet wolverine he'd become). No sooner was he in the tent than Jim and I both sucked in deep breaths. "Karl, um," Jim started and trailed off, completely breathless. I could see his tongue licking his lip and knew that Karl's exercise sweat was having the same effect on him as it was on me.
"Karl," I tried, "You might want to, uh, shower?"
"Why? Do I stink?"
Jim's voice rolled out like a single word, "OhHellNoYouSmellGoodEnoughToEat!"
"What he said!" I was having trouble breathing right then. Karl smelled like the ultimate male animal, something literally built for sex. Karl laughed deep in his belly, took an exaggerated sniff of his armpit that caused Jim to whimper and nearly made me swoon before he gathered up his kit and heading to the Hygiene Hut.
"What the hell was that?"
"I don't know, Red, but I hope to hell he either never does it again or, um, does it several times a day!"
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Active storelines, all at www.nifty.org/nifty/gay... Canvas Hell: 32 chapters .../camping/canvas-hell/ Beaux Thibodaux: 23 chapters .../adult-youth/beaux-thibodaux/ The Heathens: 25 chapters .../historical/the-heathens/ Lake Desolation: 17 chapters .../rural/lake-desolation/ Shark Reef: 10 chapters .../adult-youth/shark-reef/ Culberhouse Rules: 8 chapters .../incest/culberhouse-rules/ Raven's Claw: 6 chapters .../authoritarian/ravens-claw/ Ashes & Dust: 2 chapters .../rural/ashes-and-dust/