Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
PERCY
Butch claps me roughly on the shoulder then jogs back over to the van to grab the climbing equipment.
With all the tents set up and everyone settled in, the shift in energy around the campsite is palpable.
It’s like being out in nature has turned them all feral, put them in touch with their inner cavemen, and I have to wonder again if I’m enough of a bro to fit in here.
Callan grabs Silas in a headlock, wrestling and shit-talking a bit before challenging him to a race up some trail.
Silas agrees and they both take off sprinting into the woods.
Dre mutters something to Xeno and Ezra before blowing them both a kiss and taking off after Callan and Silas with a predatory grin on his face.
Fender strips down to nothing but a pair of boots and struts through the clearing bare-assed, gathering sticks and kindling for a fire like it’s a totally normal thing to do with your balls out.
AJ and Slater shout something about swimming and then disappear into the trees in the opposite direction to the other three.
I watch the chaos with sweaty palms and a racing heart.
“Ready to go?” Butch returns with a smile and a heavy looking pack slung over his shoulders.
“Uh, yeah.” I glance over at Fender one more time and swallow a laugh. “As long as I don’t have to climb naked.”
I’m sure it’s just a trick of the light or a stress-induced delusion, but for a second, I could swear Butch’s eyes roam over me and his smile turns from friendly to heated.
“Don’t give Fender any ideas,” he murmurs after a second, and we both chuckle. “Come on.” He jerks his head in roughly the same direction Callan and the others took off, and I gather my courage to follow him.
With the trees blocking most of the sun’s rays, it’s nice and cool in the forest. Twigs snap under our boots and birds chirp and whistle in the trees as I follow him along the narrow trail, his wide shoulders catching on branches and carving a path ahead for us.
“So… is nudity a pretty normal part of the camping experience for you guys?” Does the question sound casual or does it make me sound like a perv who’s hoping for a massive orgy around the campfire?
I guess I’d rather sound like a sex fiend than an anxious nerd who’s having heart palpitations at the idea of having to choose between nearly a dozen gymbos seeing me naked or being the only weirdo to keep his clothes on.
“Not like we all walk around naked the whole weekend or anything, but we’re pretty casual about it out here.
Well, except for Fender. He might be naked the whole weekend.
” Butch shrugs and looks back at me over his shoulder.
“Is that a problem? I can tell everyone to keep their pants on if it makes you uncomfortable. We just usually don’t think much about it. ”
“No, it’s fine. I mean, I shudder to think where a tick might end up, but that’s between you and god.”
He barks out a laugh and visibly cringes. “Fuck, you talked me into it, I’m definitely keeping my clothes on.”
I snicker. As relieved as I am to hear that I won’t be the only clothed person all weekend, it’s kind of a shame. I spare a longing look at his ass, flexing in his jeans with every long stride.
It only takes a few more minutes before Butch stops in front of me at the base of a jagged rock face. I gulp and tilt my head back to see just how tall this thing is.
“It’s a hundred feet high,” I yelp. “You can’t expect me to climb this.”
“It’s eighteen feet,” he corrects me. “And this is the perfect beginner climb. Come here.”
He waves me over, but my feet keep me rooted in place for a few more seconds, just staring in horror at the cliff towering in front of me. Why did I agree to this? This is insane. It’s a death wish. It’s—
Butch puts his hands on my shoulders and warmth spreads through me as he gives them a gentle, encouraging squeeze.
“Trust me, Rocky,” he says softly. My insides turn to jelly, and a hot shiver runs through me.
Oh, right, that’s why I agreed to this. Because I’m a horny idiot trying to impress a man who’s never going to be interested in me anyway. I can’t believe this is the way I’m going to die. I hope Juno at least writes a nice obituary about me.
I give a jerky nod, and Butch nudges me forward, shuffling me one step at a time until I’m standing directly in front of the rock face.
“I’m going to free climb it first and attach a belay line at the top. That way, you’ll be nice and secure your whole climb.”
I nod slowly, my mouth dry and my pulse thundering in my ears.
“How do I…?” I gesture meekly.
Still standing behind me, Butch slides his hand from my shoulder, all the way down my arm, until it rests over my hand.
“Like I said, this is the perfect beginner climb.” His hand is firm but not forceful, steady and warm as he guides my hand to a groove in the rock surface.
“It’s full of these notches. They’re going to be your hand and footholds.
The most important thing is to take your time.
Rushing is what leads to mistakes. And trust me, okay? I swear I’ll have you the whole time.”
I nod again, hoping he can’t feel the slight tremble in my hand just before he eases his grip off. He takes a step back and I’m embarrassed by how badly I miss the feeling of his body immediately.
Butch shrugs off the backpack and pulls out a harness to hand me. I step into it and tighten all the straps.
“Watch me and try to remember the path I take up. I’ll look for the best grips along the way.” He threads one end of the rope through my harness, looping the rest of the length around his shoulder, and then he starts to climb.
I’ve been watching him run and lift at Sweat for a couple of weeks now, so I shouldn’t be awestruck by the way he looks scaling a rock, but all I can say is damn.
His muscles flex, and even in the cool afternoon breeze, there’s a glistening layer of sweat on his skin.
He lets out little grunts each time he hauls himself up to the next grip.
My cock stiffens watching him, and for a couple of minutes I forget to even be terrified for my own life.
When he reaches the top, he drags himself over the edge and then turns to look down at me with that big, dopey grin on his face.
“See? Easy peasy!”
The laugh that bubbles in my throat is bordering on hysterical, but I can’t back out of this now. If I’m going to die, I’ll die like a man, doing something stupid just to protect my ego. I wait while he sets up the belay and then peeks over the ledge again.
“Good to go.”
I give him a thumbs-up because I don’t trust my voice not to quiver if I answer out loud.
I double check that the rope is still tied to my harness—not that I don’t trust Butch, it just seems like a good thing to be extra sure about-- and I wipe my sweaty palms on my pants before I notch my fingers into the same spot Butch guided me to before.
“You’ve got this, Rocky,” he calls down in that same deep, encouraging voice that’s convinced me to do all kinds of impossible things over the past couple of weeks. I swallow hard, find a spot for my toe, and pull myself up a couple of inches off the ground.
Oh my god, I’m doing it. It’s only a couple of inches, but still, it’s something. I look up, searching for the next spot to grip, and see Butch still grinning down at me.
“There you go, that’s it. Remember to keep breathing and take it slow.”
I blow out a breath and reach up for the next hold, then the next, and the next. Little by little, only half a foot at a time. I’m barely halfway up before my muscles burn in protest and sweat makes my shirt stick to my back.
“I’m not going to make it,” I call out, my fingers cramping as I try to get a grip on the next notch. The belay rope tightens a little, which is reassuring, like Butch is reminding me that he’s not going to let me fall.
“Of course you’re going to make it, Rocky. You’re more than halfway up already.”
I shake my head. “No. It’s too hard. My body is cramping up. I can’t do it.”
“Rocky.” He says my nickname in a tone that borders on stern, making my heart beat even faster. “Nobody’s ever died of a muscle cramp. Pause, breathe, then keep going. You’re in charge of your own body, and you tell your body what to do. Right?”
“Right,” I squeak, tightening my grip. “Right,” I say again, a bit louder.
“Next grip spot is a little to your right. You can do it.”
I can do it.
I can do it.
I chant those words in my head, letting Butch’s encouragement ring in my ears as I heave myself up another half a foot, then another.
And after a little while, the muscle cramps aren’t that big of a deal anymore.
Not that they’ve gone away, but it’s like he said, they’re not going to kill me, so I just ignore them.
I control my body. If I want to climb a fucking mountain, then that’s what I’m going to do.
I reach up again, and this time my hand catches on a flatter surface. I crane my head back and find Butch hovering above me at the top of the cliff.
“Holy shit. I did it?” I gasp.
He crouches and offers me his hand.
“You did it,” he says, pulling me over the edge and onto solid ground.
I collapse on the hard, dusty rock, my whole body shaking, and I start to laugh.
BUTCH
I lie down on the ground next to Percy, pride swelling in my chest, and I wait for the burst of adrenaline to work its way through him. He trembles and laughs, gasping for breath as he flexes his fingers to work out the cramps.
“I can’t believe I did that,” he mutters, shaking his head. “I can’t fucking believe I did that.”
“You were amazing. I knew you could do it.”
He rolls onto his side facing me, his hands still shaking and a huge smile stretched across his lips.
“I never would have done that without you. I don’t know how you do it to me, but you make me brave and capable.” He puts his hand on my chest and my heart leaps. “You make me the kind of man I always wanted to be but didn’t think I could.”
“I don’t make you anything, Rocky.” I put my hand over his, and our eyes lock. “It’s all you, man.”
He gives a little shake of his head and leans in.
I don’t have time to process or react. The only warning I have is the warm flutter of his breath before his lips crash into mine.
My cock was already half-hard from the adrenaline rush of the free climb, and as soon as his warm, soft lips touch mine, it swells to full mast. I can taste the salty flavor of his sweat and feel the heat of his breath against my lips.
My hand tightens around his, and a soft moan rumbles in my throat.
Just as fast as it started, Percy jerks back.
I hook my fingers in his harness to keep him from rolling backward off the edge and watch as a series of emotions flicker over his face rapidly.
Heat, amusement, then embarrassment. His cheeks were already flushed from exertion, but the color rushes over the rest of his face and he bites down on his bottom lip.
“Fuck, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. I don’t know what came over me.” He shakes out his hands like he’s trying to get the feeling back into them and pulls his knees up to his chest.
“It’s the adrenaline, it’ll do crazy shit to you.” I offer him the out he needs. Hell, it’s probably true. He was feeling amped up and fucking psyched about that climb, he would have kissed anybody. I clench my teeth and force the smile to stay on my face.
“Sorry,” he mutters again.
“Don’t worry about it. All my climbing buddies shove their tongues in my mouth after a solid climb.”
Percy sputters a laugh and then buries his face in his hands.
“Seriously, dude, it’s no big deal.” I sit up next to him and put my hand on his shoulder. Fuck me, I wish it was a big deal. “Come on, don’t let a little thing like a kiss between gym buddies spoil the victory you were just celebrating.”
He laughs again and lowers his hands.
“Okay, as long as you swear I didn’t make things weird.”
I use my free hand to draw an X across my chest. “I swear.”
“So, how do we get back down?” He cranes his neck to glance down over the side of the cliff.
“You can rappel, and I can climb down after you, or there’s about a mile long trail that leads back to camp from here.”
“Let’s take the trail.” He stands up and starts to unbuckle his harness. “If we climb back down, who knows what a second adrenaline rush might make me do.”
“We wouldn’t want that,” I rumble, hoping he doesn’t pick up the hint of sarcasm.
Percy meets my gaze and a shy smile twists his lips.
Am I the biggest creep in the world if I suddenly find myself making a mental list of a dozen other adrenaline-inducing activities for this weekend?
And, hey, if Percy needs someone to kiss again to burn off that energy afterward, I definitely won’t mind.