by Kit Fortier
Jake stopped Fox, the two of them hidden in the tree line. Jake motioned for Fox to look out, pointing into his own eyes, then out towards the truck.
Moments later, they saw it.
An eagle perched at the top of a tall stump.
Fox thought back to his scouting days. Eagles didn't hunt at night--their night vision was not as developed as that of an owl. They were usually in their nests, asleep.
Maybe this one was, too. But the lack of sounds around only lent credence to the fact that this one might just be an altered beast.
An open field lay near the parking area. If they could lure it out, they might have a solid chance…
Fox tapped Jake on the shoulder. He pointed at the open field. Jake wasn't tracking, so he pointed at the eagle, and then pointed at the field. Jake nodded.
Suddenly, in the field, a roughly human figure sprang from the earth. Fox was confused at first, then he realized he was looking at a dummy. The eagle noticed, too, and launched, rising, then swooping through the air. Its speed was incredible.
The bird of prey swept past the dummy's head. Fox watched on as the head slid off of the dummy.
Shit.
Their problems compounded. The eagle knew they were there, for one. Another, the fucker was aloft, which meant that it'd be harder to fight him.
Fox had an idea. It wasn't a good idea, but it was the best he could think of. He had to lure the bird to fly at him. Fox waved at Jake, getting his attention. He motioned to look at his chest. Jake's eyebrows wrinkled, but he did so.
With an index finger, Fox looked down at his chest, and wrote the letter B against his shirt. He then wrote A. Next came I. And finally, the T. He looked up at Jake, who was already furiously shaking his head.
"No!" Jake scream-whispered.
"It's the only way to get it out of the air, Jake."
Fox saw Jake thinking of every permutation of possibility that he could imagine. But to Fox, a better option was not forthcoming.
"Damnit," Jake whispered. "I'll go."
Fox shook his head. Jake's eyes went wide.
"I trust you."
Jake reached out to grab Fox, but he had unsecured his pack-which Jake grabbed onto. He heard Jake scream-shouting at him to get his ass back there.
Fox ran out a few yards until he was in the clearing. He saw the silhouette of the altered beast overhead, watched it turn towards him. It was coming.
Fox looked back at the tree line. Jake stood in his line of sight, his hands folded, fingers interlocked, and at his mouth-like he was praying. Fox turned around and looked up. It would be any moment now.
The eagle shrieked at Fox, and began to panic. He could see its feathers. Soon he could see its talons. Then came the eyes.
A thick wall of dirt flew up all around Fox. He heard a loud cracking thump directly in front of him. Then as quick as the wall appeared, it slammed down into the dirt it came from.
Fox heard Jake running down to meet him. When he arrived, he pulled the bowie knife he made from off of Fox's belt, ready to hack and slash at whatever came.
"Motherfucker," Jake hissed.
"Me or the bird?" Fox asked.
"Both, goddamnit."
Fox would give him that.
The lump that was the bird flopped over, hopping to its feet. It tried to spread its wings, but clearly, one wing was broken when the thing smashed into Jake's wall.
With sickening sounds of bone cracking and twisting, flesh assembled itself. The eagle slowly formed into a man.
"Who sent you?" Jake exclaimed.
The eagle-man was holding its arm. It was still injured.
"She wants," he hissed.
She wants? What was with the thing's speaking ability?
"She wants," the altered beast said, pointing a finger from its good arm at Jake.
Then the thing turned its gaze on Fox.
In the moonlight, the creature's eyes glittered gold from the iris to the sclera. The pupil was blown out-the creature had no night vision, so it had to adapt. Likely as a result of the creature it would change into, it had an aquiline appearance.
Fox realized the eagle-man was pretty close to an it. In its nakedness, it had no genitalia. Another sign this poor creature was altered by magicked alchemy.
Fox looked over at Jake who had a furious look on his face. Fox looked over at the eagle-man, who was now pointing at him.
The eagle-man was pointing at him.
Which meant the witch who owned him knew.
Fuck.
*** Jake
Jake couldn't help the feeling that his ears were hot, his neck was hot, and he was seeing red. The altered beast pointed at him. That was nothing. But when it pointed at Fox, common sense was shoved out into the cold with the door slammed behind it.
He could also see the thing was knitting fast, which meant he had to act fast.
"Step back," he said to Fox in a low growl. When Fox complied, Jake focused on the slave of magic before him.
"Take," the creature croaked.
Jake's alchemy was quick. Two monstrous slabs of earth sprang from the ground. They slammed the monster, trapping it in the middle. The slabs fell back where they came, and Jake charged.
The knife swung from the ground up, like a wide upper-cut. Jake connected, driving the knife up through the creature's chin and out the top of its head. Jake pulled it out with a powerful kick from his thick, strong leg. He worked quickly to cut off its head.
"That was Walking Dead just now," Fox said with muted awe.
Jake wiped the knife on the cuff of his jeans. His breaths were deep and heavy.
He also said nothing.
"I don't think there'll be more, since eagles are solitary."
Jake looked at Fox. Their eyes locked on each other. Fox looked confused and a little afraid.
"We got him, it, right?"
"Fuck you, Fox."
*** Fox
That was to be expected, Fox supposed. But Jake may as well have thrown a brick at his face.
He knew Jake would be mad. It was evident from his livid refusal to let him run out in the open. But it worked. They took care of the problem, right?
"Jake…"
"Do you know that we could have done any number of things to bring that fucking animal down? Do you know that I would rather cut off my own arm than let you risk yourself in any way? Do you know that you--" Jake fell silent, his anger seemed fueled by his heavy breathing.
Fox's vision started to get watery. Conflicting emotions warred in his head. Anger that Jake was angry. Sad that Jake was hurting. Vindictive because Jake said fuck you. Love.
Love piercing the mire and bursting into view.
"I know I was stupid. I'm sorry I scared you."
Jake's breathing started to even out.
"I know that you'd rather cut off your own arm than see me hurt."
Jake's pale eyes glistened.
"I also know that I'd rather die than let you suffer anything."
Jake reached out and pulled Fox in, a sobbing gasp burst at Fox's ear. He wasn't loud, but he was shuddering, his face buried against Fox's neck. Fox wrapped his arms around Jake and held on tight as Jake was wracked with tears.
Fox brushed his hands up and down and across Jake's back. He shushed his man and tried to comfort him. In time, Jake was out of sobs. Fox took Jake by the chin.
"Let's promise each other that we won't self-sacrifice. We'll work it out together, okay?" Fox said.
Jake nodded, wiping his own tears away. "I promise."
Fox leaned in and laid a chaste kiss on Jake's lips.
"Let's go. There's a shower in Casper that's calling our names."
20. On the Road
*** Jake
Jake got Fox a treat. The hotel they checked into had a hot tub and a large bath, and he knew Fox could use some spoiling. They bypassed Keyhole Reservoir. Jake opted to go somewhere else to test and train Fox's latent ability.
When they arrived, Jake
spread a line as he'd done before. He didn't touch the line and think of the litany. Jake willed the line into permanence.
The room was luxurious, to say the least. It didn't have a kitchenette, but it was well-stocked in its mini-bar. The fridge had a few complimentary waters, and the king-sized bed was plush and inviting. It would be nice to sleep in a real bed, and though the road was calling, There was at least a week before the event.
Fox dropped his bag and headed for the bathroom, leaving a haphazard trail of clothes in his wake. The sound of the shower turning on, followed by a happy-sounding moan pouring from Fox made Jake smile. Jake walked along, picking up Fox's clothes. He looked for the complimentary plastic bag for laundry. He found it and moved over to the bed.
Jake stared at Fox's dirty shirt. He picked it up and brought it to his nose and took a deep breath. Fox was in the shower, no doubt scrubbing himself pink. The scent of their passion in the bunker would be gone altogether. Jake put the shirt into the bag.
He picked up Fox's jeans and found himself doing the same. He took a deep inhale at the crotch, firing off all kinds of neurons of pleasure and memory in his brain.
"You don't have to do that, you know," Fox said as he stood against the doorway, fresh, dripping wet, and very much so pink. He was smiling.
"Foxy baby, don't get me wrong, I'd love the way you smell when you're clean as a whistle or as rank as a muddy farm animal. I just want to keep it all any way I can."
Fox crossed to him, taking his jeans from Jake's hands and taking a sniff.
"Hoo," he said. "I wouldn't do me if I smelled like that," Fox smirked.
Jake chuckled. "How about me?"
Fox stood in front of Jake. As Fox breathed Jake in, Jake breathed the newly scrubbed Fox in.
"Eh," Fox said non-committed. "I could take it or leave it."
Jake's face fell into a leer. "I could dirty you up again. Make you all stinky, sticky, and sweaty."
Fox smacked his hand over Jake's mouth.
"Teddy bear, I love you, but right now my dick is so raw that the idea of us touching wee-wees is making me cringe."
Jake licked Fox's hand, and Fox laughed. "What are we, five?"
Jake snickered. "Your loss," he said, making a show of peeling off his shirt and sniffing himself. "Hoo-boy. That's ripe."
Fox shook his head, smiling. Jake shimmied out of his jeans, his half-hard dick swinging through the air.
Fox whistled appreciatively.
"I'm gonna take a shower now. Don't do anything naughty while I'm gone," Jake said, padding into the bathroom. He waited a moment and peered around the door way.
Sprawled on the bed was Fox, furiously tugging himself with hotel brand lotion. He held Jake's shirt over his nose, breathing him in. His toes curled and his body tensed as he pleasured himself. Jake watched him, enjoying the show. It looked like Fox lost himself in the moment.
Jake cleared his throat. Fox's eyes snapped open, locking with his.
He never stopped. Jake chuckled.
"You're like that battery rabbit, aren't you? Just keep going and going…" Jake said. Fox gave him a defiant leer, but never stopped. Instead, he made a show of his auto-erotic act as he tweaked his nipples and licked his fingers, staring at Jake.
"That's naughty," he said. "Guess I'm gonna have to punish you later."
Fox whimpered into Jake's shirt. Jake passed the shower and turned on the bath, emptying the hotel brand bath soap into it.
"What were you thinking, baby?" Jake said over the hiss of the water filling the tub. "Are you asking for trouble?"
Jake heard Fox moaning. He was listening when Fox spoke aloud,
"I love being bad for you, teddy bear."
"Oh? How bad are you being?"
"So bad, need you, need you in me, on me," Fox whined with heat in his voice. Jake heard Fox whimpering.
"Do you want me to come in there, Foxy? Do you want me to straighten you out? Smack my big, rough hands on that hot little ass of yours?"
"Please, do it," Fox begged. Jake heard moans and grunts.
"That's right. You like it when Daddy puts you in line. You like it when he owns that tight, warm ass. You want--"
"Holy fuck," Fox cried, interrupting Jake's dirty diatribe. Jake assumed he reached a climax from the sound of it.
"That's my Coppertop." He smiled.
A couple of moments passed. Fox padded into the bathroom, his manhood swinging pendulously. Jake eyed him up and down, drinking in the sight of his recent flush of pleasure. He caught the whiff of lotion on Fox's skin as he approached.
"Whatcha doing?" Fox asked innocently, as if he hadn't been playing out a lewd fantasy mere seconds before.
"I figured I'd run a bath. It's been a while."
"Oh man. I haven't had a bath in years," Fox said.
"That's… kind of gross, isn't it?" Jake chuckled.
"Shut up. You know what I mean."
"I got all this for you," Jake said.
Fox rubbed his hands across Jake's shoulders.
"I figured as much," Fox murmured.
Jake took Fox's hand and stepped into the water. It was hot, almost scalding, but not enough to keep Jake from sinking into it.
"Get in."
Fox stepped in. "Yeouch!"
"I know. I can't do a lukewarm bath."
Fox nodded. He sank down inch by inch, causing water to splash out onto the floor.
"Meh. Room service will clean it up," he laughed. "Come over here."
Jake slid over to Fox, his back to Fox's front. He sighed and sank into Fox. His man poured handfuls of water over his sore body, rubbing soap through his thick, wet pelt.
"You like that, mister bear?"
Jake chuckled, his eyes closed. "I'm a mister now?"
"Well, I couldn't think of anything else. You're not exactly as cuddly as a teddy bear, and those are for kids. And da--"
Jake pinched Fox's inner thigh beneath the hot water, earning him a yelp.
Fox snickered and continued. "We'll save the d-word for some pretty fucking hot shit…"
Jake smirked. Boy howdy, he was right about that.
"…so, I'm trying to match the right word for the right occasion." Fox poured handfuls of water over Jake's hair, soaking it as he massaged his scalp.
"I kinda laugh at the labels thing," Jake confessed. "Bears, twinks, chasers, yadda yadda. Too many guys creating only more hang-ups for themselves." Fox nodded in agreement.
"What would I be?"
Jake did a mental desk drawer reference check, settling on an answer. "If I were to guess, I'd say you'd be a Twunk. Somewhere between twink and hunk. Twink, because you're young. Hunk, because you're built like a jock. Specifically, a jock baseball player who rock climbs and runs through the woods like a ghost or a fleet-footed Native American."
"Nice."
"Yes you are," Jake replied. He was as relaxed as he could be.
"Foxy…"
"Teddy bear?"
Jake snickered. "There's a hot tub in the main room."
"I noticed."
"Let's give it a whirl."
"I thought you'd never ask."
*** Fox
It had been Jake's original intent to use the room simply to clean up. Let Fox enjoy the warmth of soap and water. But the siren's call that was the clean sheets and soft pillows was too good to resist. The aches and pains from the moments touching the silver circle dogged them both, despite the day of rest they took. It didn't take much for Fox to convince Jake to actually stay the whole night.
Fox was clean, dry, and relaxed. Jake's idea to splurge a little bit made Fox a happy camper-glamper as the time passed. Rather than head out for meals, Jake called in room service, and the two spent the day relaxing in each other's company, exploring the terrains of the other man's body, trading stories of days in college that weren't touched by pains with exes and magic users.
Jake plotted out the remainder of the journey while Fox watched. They had seven days--six now, a
fter their stay in Casper.
"I think I know where we can test out whatever you picked up on Devils Tower," Jake said.
"Oh? Where?"
"I dunno… Maybe I should surprise you." Jake smirked. Fox shoved the man playfully.
"Come on," Fox whined. "Tell me!"
Jake grinned and shook his head. "Naw. I think it'll be better if you don't know."
Fox grumbled and slipped under the sheets with his back turned to his man. Jake raised an eyebrow.
"Are we pouting? Is that what this is?"
Fox grunted.
"Foxy baby," Jake whispered. He crowded Fox, easing in behind the young man. He slid his hand over Fox's firm belly, getting a choked snickering reaction as Jake lightly raked his fingers through Fox's russet treasure trail. He hadn't stopped there. Jake lightly dragged his rough fingertips over Fox's skin, pausing to exploit a ticklish spot when the red-head involuntarily reacted.
"Stop," Fox hissed. "I'm trying to be mad at you."
"I see," Jake replied solemnly. "Is that working?"
"Ye--" Fox couldn't complete his sentence. He was laughing and squirming in Jake's fingers as the man straddled him, randomly attacking his sensitive spots. When Fox was red-faced and crying through his laughter, Jake stopped. He ran his palms soothingly over Fox's chest, then sprawled out on top of him for languid kisses.
Fox smiled through his mild delirium as he came off his high.
"Since you're not telling me where we're going, can you at least tell me what the game plan is?" Fox said, wrapping his arms around the man on top of him.
"After tonight, we have a week left before the event," Jake said with his head against Fox's chest just beneath his chin. "We should spend the last night, maybe two, in Malta. The rest we can spend catching you up on alchemy at the… undisclosed location."
Fox chuckled. "Ass." His man shuddered on top of him as he chuckled, too.
The room was cool, which made Fox shiver a little when Jake slid off him. But Jake must have read Fox's mind as he pulled him in close, wrapping around him with his front to Fox's back. Jake planted a kiss on the back of his man's head.
"Get some sleep, handsome. We've got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."
The two had a more restful sleep in the wake of the days before. When they woke, Jake and Fox freshened up, brushed their teeth, and dressed. They packed up their gear and grabbed some fruit from the breakfast hall before they hopped in the truck and left.