Cute, Cozy, Queer Stories

Part 32: Aaron & Grayson Continued

The night came slowly and brought cool air with it, descending into to forest dimness. After hiking in the hot sun all day, sweating and getting stuck with bugs, the cool air felt like a blessing on Aaron's skin. He sat on a long log while Grayson leaned against it. Aaron combed gently through his hair while they both shared a bag of peanuts and looked into the orange glow of the campfire. Cooler now, resting his tired muscles, with his hunger and thirst satisfied, the annoyance had faded as well, leaving the sense of restful peace he'd hoped he'd find on the trip.

"Hey, we're playing cards, you guys wanna play?"

Glen, now shirtless and showing off every sharp-edged muscle, lightly kicked Grayson's hiking boot. The large man held a six-pack of beer in one hand and a deck of cards in the other.

Grayson looked up at Aaron. "You wanna play?"

Aaron glanced down at his boyfriend, then glared at Glen. "I don't think so."

"C'mon, don't be a bitch about—" Glen started.

"He said no, Glen," Grayson said firmly.

Glen shook his head. "Whatever." He meandered around the firepit to ask the other couples.

As he wandered off, Aaron leaned close and kissed Grayson's head. "Thanks." He knew he could count on Grayson to have his back. The thought made him smile.

"They always get drunk and crazy anyway," Grayson murmured back. "I didn't really want to play."

Aaron wasn't sure how any of them even managed to bring enough alcohol to get drunk. It was hard enough climbing the mountain with just the gear they needed. Grayson didn't drink and Aaron didn't feel like drinking. He wanted to be a part of the group—and just about everybody else was either playing cards or was already rolling around in their tents—but drunken poker with Glen as ringleader sounded like a recipe for rekindling annoyance.

Sliding down the log, Aaron sat next to Grayson in the dirt. Snuggled against his shoulder, he enjoyed the glow of the firelight, stealing kisses with Grayson, and watching fireflies light up the trees above and around them. The poker game going on at the picnic table across the fire got louder as more bottles were passed and cans opened.

"It's your turn, Vladimir Putin!" Glen said loudly.

"I think!" an accented voice replied.

"You already 'thinked,' either stay or raise."

The other man muttered something that sounded like Russian.

"Hey, no fucking Sputnik at the table," Glen snapped back.

"Chill out, Glen; it's a game," another man said.

Aaron glanced over to see Glen stand up, gesturing aggressively towards a lithe man with long, blonde hair spilling over his shoulders. "He takes like 20 minutes every turn!" Glen objected. "And no one can understand what he's saying."

"You're a dick. I'm out." A dark-haired man stood up and said something in Russian to the blonde sitting next to him. The blond stood up as well. Standing a surprising foot and a half over his dark-haired companion, the blond man stuck out his tongue at Glen as they both left the table. Aaron couldn't help but smirk. Somehow, it was comforting knowing he wasn't the only one who thought Glen was a jerk.

As the two men left the picnic table, muttering in Russian, the dark-haired man sank into the darkness, heading towards a yellow tent a few yards back. The blonde man sat down on the log near Grayson and Aaron with a heavy sigh.