Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
E zra snuck a peek at Chaz before looking away. The man was back to being a surly beast. Chaz was different now from their evening adventures. Oh, God. Last night. It had happened. He'd been ravished (kinda) by Chaz. They hadn’t gone all the way, so a full ravishment would have to happen in the future. How could his life return to normal, knowing Chaz had his hand on his penis? It was embarrassing. It was so hot. And Chaz was so focused finding the edge of the bush because Ezra’s best adventure had nothing to do with getting home. A whisper of words exited Ezra's wayward mouth. “Was last night… did I screw up?”
Chaz stopped zipping up his magical backpack before giving Ezra a considering look. He never said a word as he leaned close and set his mouth against Ezra’s. The kiss might have been gentle, but God, was Chaz potent. Ezra fluttered his eyes and savoured Chaz. This brief taste of Chaz was going to be his last. He knew it. This was Chaz’s way of saying fuck off.
“There was no screwing up. You did everything perfectly. We just have a situation to resolve before we can proceed.” Chaz gazed into Ezra’s eyes. The intense blue with its striations was so pretty. Ezra relaxed as it was no surly beast who kissed him.
“Okay. It’s just… I wasn’t sure and then… you were angry,” Ezra blurted out. His face heated up as Chaz arched an eyebrow. “I thought you were angry.”
“Not at you. Promise. Maybe at this weather but never at you.” Chaz offered his hand to help Ezra stand. The pull brought him close to Chaz’s solid body and heat. Ezra swallowed at the sudden proximity. Now was not the time to get horny. It was as Chaz said. Once they were safe at home, in Chaz’s bed, they could do things.
“Okay, that’s cool.” Ezra bobbed his head and pointed in a random direction. “I propose that’s the way we get out of this mess.”
Chaz dumped the dregs of his coffee over the fire before stuffing the tin mugs in his pack. It truly was a magical bag. “Let’s go then, navigator.”
Ezra adjusted his pack and walked to the end of their small shelter. Maybe if they could get to the top of any nearby outcropping, they’d have a point of reference. He walked around until the slope was easy enough to scramble up. He could do this. He knew what he was doing, and Chaz believed in him.
Once he was high enough to see beyond the trees, Ezra peered in every direction. Chaz did the same. Both sought out something that would guide them to the right place. The fog was thick through the trees and refused to give up the forest’s secrets. “Well, this was dumb. I thought maybe it could help.”
Chaz hooked an arm around Ezra’s neck and pulled him close. He smacked a kiss on Ezra’s cheek before speaking. “Excellent idea. Exactly what I would have chosen. The fog is thick as fuck, so any way is good. Maybe if we listen, we can hear road noise or possibly a foghorn from the bay?”
Ezra strained his ears as he reached for the softest sound. Nothing. He glanced at Chaz, hoping he was wrong. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. We tried.” Chaz kissed his temple and stepped back. “Onwards and upwards.”
“Always twirling.” Ezra picked through the thin trees and ragged bushes. He had no trail to follow and no sense of place. Every step was an opportunity to break an ankle or some other dangerous thing.
“Whatever you’re muttering about, you need to stop. It’s not helpful,” Chaz called. Ezra froze mid-step. Had he been speaking out loud? Holy Hannah, he was an idiot.
“Sorry. Just trying not to dwell.” Ezra waved and moved forward. The ground had become squishy, and the trees changed. “Chaz? I think we’re gonna need to re-evaluate our plans.”
“What’s that?” Chaz hustled up to Ezra. “What do you mean?”
“I’m pretty sure we entered a bog or swamp.” Ezra bounced and winced as the ground made a squelching sound. Thick black peat circled the cedars just ahead. If they were in a maintained park, they’d be standing on a boardwalk.
“Well, shit.”
“What do we do now?” Ezra bit his lip. They’d been walking for an hour without any hints about the right direction. To stumble upon a bog seemed like fate was working against them.
“We can see if we can get around it. There might be a better path down a ways.” Chaz pointed toward a direction that seemed to be clearer. Ezra eyed the trees and the ground before shrugging. Chaz had hiked the area more than Ezra had, and more recently.
“I hope so. I think the fog is getting wetter.” Ezra scrubbed a hand down his face and grimaced at the water on his hand.
“We’re fine. Once we get past the bog, we’ll be on the right path. Freedom from fog is only just steps away.” Chaz smiled at Ezra.
“Okay, let’s get to the other side.” Ezra hitched his backpack as it sagged and aimed himself in the direction Chaz suggested.
“Tell me more about your stories,” Chaz demanded as they hugged the driest edge. Ezra was focussed on not stepping on a clump of grass hiding a mud hole. Chaz nudged him in the back, disrupting his focus.
“My stories? Oh God no. They’re just little James Bond wannabes. I wrote them to pass the time,” Ezra said. He’d never shown his manuscripts to anyone. He worried about people mocking him for using SPAM agents or even wanting to expand on their reports. They made his heart happy, and that was enough for now. Maybe he’d tell Chaz once he was more comfortable in his presence. Ezra felt the ground squish before his foot sank deep into mud. “Shit.”
He tugged his foot out and wrinkled at the black goo coating his shoe. Even his ankle was covered with mud, and water sloshed around inside.
“Did you hurt yourself?” Chaz knelt beside him, his hands around Ezra’s ankle.
“No, no. I got stuck, and now I’m gross.” Ezra sighed. “This way is a bust. I can’t see an end in sight.”
Chaz patted his ankle once. A look of determination settled on his face as he searched the rainy fog. “Okay, we’ll turn around and look for some high ground. Oh, hey, the weather seems to be lifting, I hope.”
Ezra side-eyed Chaz and shook his head. The man had a bad habit of stating something possibly positive and the universe dumping on it. He wondered if Chaz even realized what he was doing. He seemed so innocent as he spoke. “Maybe you should stop prognosticating?”
“Say what now?” Chaz lifted a low branch for Ezra. “I just said the fog is lifting. It’s because?—”
“The rain is starting.” Ezra held a hand out, palm up, and watched as droplets filled it. He didn’t have to worry about his foot being wet. His whole body was going to be.
“Fine. Pick up the pace then and see if we can find a way out of this fucking forest. We can do it. We just need to have a little faith.” The smile was tarnished now on Chaz’s face as they retreated. Each step Ezra took made a sucking noise, irritating him. Ezra reminded himself he was hale and hearty. He could ignore his discomfort.
After fifteen minutes of walking and discovering nothing, Chaz sighed and called a halt. The rain had begun to fall, and Ezra felt the damp cold in his bones. It was the suckiest day ever.
“We need to find a shelter to wait out the storm. It—” Ezra placed a finger against Chaz’s mouth, stopping the flow of words. “What are you doing?”
“Trying not to let you jinx us,” Ezra admitted. “I thought I saw some boulders in that direction. Let’s see if there’s a dry spot for shelter.”
“I am not a jinx.”
“Normally, I wouldn’t argue with you. However, today, I’m begging to differ.” Ezra’s filter had cracked under the strain of being wet and cold. He liked Chaz’s optimistic way of talking. Yet once Ezra noticed what was happening, how fate was saying fuck you, it wasn’t that much fun anymore.
“Fine. I won’t talk. I’ll let you do all the decision-making. Which way, Captain?” Chaz lifted his hands in surrender.
“Like I said, let’s go to the boulders and see what’s there.” Ezra confidently strode to the outcropping. As he approached, his steps became slower, and a niggle of fear grew. The trees were familiar. Same with how the rocks were angled. “Fucking hell.”
“What’s wrong?” Chaz immediately dove into protective mode, stepping close to Ezra. He glanced around and swore. “We’ve walked in a circle.”
“Yes.” Ezra clenched his teeth against the scream of defeat aching to come out. “I fucked up.”
“What?” Chaz cupped Ezra’s face in his hands and forced Ezra to meet his gaze. “How did you fuck up?”
“I chose to go this way. I was the one who found the swamp of decay and then I was the one who set off?—”
“We have no map. No sky and we had a shit ton of fog and rain to deal with. I’d say you did a fantastic job, bringing us back here. Now we can dry out a bit and think of a better strategy.”
“I—” Ezra shook his head, crestfallen at leading them to the spot where they started. The small fire pit was soaked. They wouldn’t be able to have anything to dry out. Their logs had rivulets of water running through the bark. They couldn’t sit to rest without getting their asses wet.
“My little stove has fuel. We can use that and make coffee. Having something warm to drink will take our minds off the small oops.”
Chaz had read his mind. He opened his pack and passed a small towel to Ezra before pulling out the ultralight stove. In minutes, the coffeemaker was bubbling away, and the hint of coffee aroma filled the air. The whole time Chaz worked, he had a hand on Ezra’s thigh, squeezing occasionally. The touch helped his anxiety, but Ezra continued to think about how he'd failed at leading them to safety.
“I called you a jinx, Chaz. I am so sorry.” Ezra’s mind was stuck on how he'd insulted Chaz when everything was his fault. He should have been paying attention to where he was going. He should have realized the scenery was familiar sooner.
“Ezra, I need you to relax and stop doomsaying. We’re fine. We’re a little off track, but we’re fine. So, we need to regroup. It’s okay. Just breathe for me.” Chaz pinched Ezra’s chin lightly and tipped it up for a soft kiss. The touch, chaste as it was, was enough to soothe some of Ezra’s spirals.
“I hoped I could make you proud of me.” Ezra pulled his legs to his chest and winced at the cold and wet flesh. Taking a breath, Ezra closed his eyes. All he wanted to do was prove he wasn’t a useless hiker or a mean jerk.
“I am proud of you! You haven’t whined or complained. You’ve taken every fucked-up part of this adventure like a trooper. Definitely not a city person sort of attitude right there.” Chaz grasped his knee and gave it a wiggle. His brow furrowed.
“What’s wrong? I saw that look. You thought of something. What happened?” Ezra straightened and searched the trees. It wouldn’t surprise him if coyotes were stalking them.
“We need to get a fire going. I know it’s summer and hot as fuck. However, you’re gonna get the chills, and then we’re fucked.”
“What?”