Hunt and Pray (11 page)

Chapter Nine

C
HANCE
returned about twenty minutes later, just as the rain started to fall. He had a big armload of wood, and he walked over, waving Drew down when he started to stand to help unload it.

“I got it, don’t worry about it.” The other man put the wood down and climbed wearily to his feet. “Just wait until you see what I found!”

He was excited, that much was clear. When Chance returned, it was with more wood, although not as much this time, and a big piece of bark that was lined with leaves and full to the brim with berries.

Drew took the offered bark bowl and blushed when his stomach growled. Chance set the rest of the wood down and kicked off his boots before settling beside Drew.

“Chance, I don’t mean to doubt you, but are you sure these are safe?” He didn’t want to hurt the other man’s feelings, but he knew he wouldn’t get far if he ended up sick from eating something.

Chance just smiled at him. “Yeah, they’re pin cherries and wild strawberries. I know it’s not much, but I figured you’d be kind of hungry, and I spotted them as we walked up here.” He picked up one of the strawberries and popped it in his mouth. “Don’t worry, I washed them in the river and everything. Just make sure you spit out the cherry pits. They’re poisonous if you swallow them.”

“Okay….” Drew was too hungry to argue. He grabbed a couple of the strawberries and put them in his mouth warily. When he bit down, he was pleased to discover they were crisp and sweet and had a strong strawberry flavor.

“These are really good!” He tried a cherry next and smiled at the underlying tart flavor softened by the sugary aftertaste.

He spit out the pits as ordered and looked up to find Chance gone from beside him. Looking around, he saw him gather up some rocks and bring them over to the back of the overhang where Drew was resting.

Chance knelt down and put the rocks in a circle, making a fire ring. He glanced up at Drew. “It’ll have to be small, but at least we’ll be a little warmer than we were last night.”

“Anything I can do to help?” Drew didn’t like feeling like a burden.

Chance just shook his head. “Nope, won’t take me long at all.” He worked quickly and efficiently, and Drew had to admit it was kind of hot how capable the man was.

Then something occurred to him. “Uh, how are you gonna light it?”

Chance looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. “I was a Boy Scout for a few years. I know how to rub wood together to make a spark.”

Drew looked up sharply, almost choking on a strawberry for his trouble. Did Chance really just flirt with him? From the blush on his face, Drew was almost positive he had.

“That’s one of the worst lines I ever heard.” Drew smiled up at Chance, enjoying the moment.

Chance shrugged his shoulder and chuckled. “Sorry, don’t have much practice.”

It was meant to be funny, but it hit Drew a different way. He looked down at his fingers, rolling a berry around and watching the way the red juice stained his fingertips.

“Can I ask you something? I mean, it’s really none of my business, and you can tell me to shut up if you want.” Drew held his breath as he waited for the answer.

“Go ahead. At this point, I don’t really have anything to hide.” Chance dug into his pocket and pulled out a book of matches, showing them to Drew. “Swiped them from the counter in the shed they locked me in.”

Drew smiled before turning serious again. “Have you ever…? God, this is really none of my business. Just forget I said anything.”

Chance cleared his throat and shook his head. “No, it’s okay.” He piled small pieces of wood in the makeshift fire pit as he spoke. “I’ve had sex with women a couple of times but never anyone I cared about. It wasn’t anything great.” He sighed, and once he had the wood the way he wanted it, he used one of the matches to light a small piece on fire.

“I’ve never done anything with a man. I was so far in the closet I could almost see Narnia, and being in the service just made it harder.” He used the small piece to light some larger chunks of wood, and they both stared at the flames. “And I mostly didn’t feel attracted to anyone enough to take the chance… until now.” It seemed like Chance’s face got even redder, but when he glanced up, he held Drew’s gaze defiantly.

“Oh, Chance….” Drew didn’t know what to say. He found the other man insanely attractive, and in any other circumstances he would have jumped at the opportunity to be with someone like Chance.

But now… well, there was no way there could ever be anything between them. Could there…?

“Don’t worry about it, Drew. I’m not completely stupid. I know you could never see me that way, not after everything that’s happened.” He kept feeding small bits of wood into the fire, building it up little by little. “I just wanted to tell you… wanted to admit my attraction to a man out loud for once in my life. I might not get another chance.”

Drew reached out and put his hand on Chance’s arm, waiting until he looked up. “I don’t know how I see you at the moment, but I’m honored to be the person that you got to say that to first. And I’m praying so hard that I won’t have to be the last.” Chance put his free hand over Drew’s on his arm, and they sat there for a while, just thinking.

After a bit, Drew recognized another kind of discomfort. “Shit.” He sighed and looked around for his shoes. He spotted them a few feet away. “Could you pass me my shoes?”

Chance frowned at him. “Why? You shouldn’t have them on right now. You need to rest your feet.”

Drew blushed. “I have to take a piss. I’d prefer to not do that right here.”

Chance’s jaw dropped, and Drew chuckled at his expression. “No, seriously, dude, I have to go.”

Chance stood up, and Drew thought he was going to get his sneakers, but he just walked over and picked Drew up again.

“Chance… for Pete’s sake!” Once again, he had no choice but to hang on if he didn’t want to fall.

“I’ll let you down over here and then come get you when you’re done. I don’t want you fucking up those bandages, so try not to piss uphill.” His expression left no room for arguing, and it wasn’t like Chance hadn’t been on hand for this back at the cabin.

Besides, between the rain falling and all the water he’d drunk from the stream, Drew was too desperate to care who was watching.

Chance walked over to the edge of the shelter and put Drew down on a fairly clean, high spot. He walked away, adding over his shoulder as he went, “Call when you’re done and I’ll come and get you.”

Drew nodded and was unzipping his jeans before Chance had taken three steps. When he was finished, he leaned out a little and got his hands wet in the rain water. It was the closest he could come to washing his hands.

“Chance?” The other man appeared in front of him and swept him up again. It was hard to complain about being snuggled against that muscled chest.

When Chance set him down again by the fire, Drew’s gaze was caught by the bandage on Chance’s chest. It wasn’t white anymore and really needed to be changed.

“Hey, can you pass me the first aid kit?” Drew held out his hand.

Chance grabbed it and gave it to Drew, looking unhappy. “What’s the matter? Are you hurt somewhere I can’t see?”

He knew Chance was cataloging the bruises and scrapes left on Drew’s face by the colonel. He shook his head.

“No, just come here, okay? I wanna clean that up for you.”

Chance looked down when Drew gestured to the grimy bandage. “It’s okay, I can do it.”

Drew arched his eyebrow at Chance. “Is there some reason I can’t help you like you helped me?”

“No, it’s just… you don’t have to—”

“Chance, sit your ass down right here!” Drew pointed to the spot beside him, and he smirked when Chance sat obediently without another word of argument.

“Now, I’m just going to pull this off carefully.” He let his hand linger a little longer than necessary on the smooth skin below the bandage. “Good thing your chest isn’t hairy. This might hurt if it was.”

Drew gently pulled back one corner of the gauze, breathing a small sigh of relief at how easy it came away.

The cut under it made Drew wince in guilt and sympathy. “It still looks clean. I’m just going to wipe it down with some disinfectant and then cover it again.”

He looked up at Chance and found himself staring into his eyes. The whole time he’d been working on Chance, the other man had been looking at him. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” It was soft and sweet, and the sound of Chance’s voice made the bottom of Drew’s stomach drop a little.

Drew didn’t say anything else, just nodded and went back to work. He ripped open a disinfecting wipe and cleaned the wound carefully and then smeared on some of the antibiotic cream.

He looked up at Chance again. “It’s not red or anything, so I don’t think you’re in any danger of infection.”

Chance nodded but didn’t say anything.

Drew opened a gauze pad and set it over the cut before taping it into place. When he went to pull away, Chance’s hand came up to cover the one smoothing the tape into place.

“Thank you.” Chance’s voice seemed to crawl right up Drew’s spine, making him shiver with something that definitely wasn’t fear.

“Kind of owed you one.” Drew knew he should move his hand, but at the moment, the reason escaped him. “After all, I’m the one who tried to stab you.”

Chance smiled. “Well, I’m the one who helped kidnap you.”

They stared at each other for a moment before they both cracked up laughing. They laughed so hard they were out of breath when they finally stopped and hunched over almost on top of each other.

Drew sat up slowly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands. “We’re both kind of ridiculous, you know.”

“Yeah, we are. I think that’s okay, though… considering the circumstances.” Chance put the first aid supplies away and then tossed the kit back into the backpack. When he was done, he handed the pack to Drew.

“Here, you can use this as a pillow. It’s not much, but it’ll keep your head off the ground.”

Drew looked down at it and then back up at Chance. “And what are you going to use?”

Chance shrugged. “I’m just going to lean up against this wall. I don’t want to sleep too deeply. I need to keep watch.”

Drew looked around for something Chance could use, but the only things they had were the socks and T-shirt Chance had moved to dry beside the fire.

Of the two of them, Chance was in worse shape physically. He’d been subjected to a real beating from his father and Ezra and looked like he could really use the rest.

“How about this? You get some rest while I keep watch and then you can take over.” Chance tried to interrupt but Drew wouldn’t let him. “No, listen to me. You said it yourself. The colonel and Ezra are most likely hiding out from the rain, so this is the best time for me to keep watch.”

“Drew—” Chance tried to argue but was once again cut off.

“I’m counting on you to get me out of here, Chance. And you can’t do that if you’re completely exhausted.” He felt bad using the guilt card, but Chance needed time to recover.

Drew grabbed the backpack and put it between him and the wall. He scooted back and relaxed against it before motioning to Chance. “Come on. If it doesn’t bother you, you can use my lap for a pillow. We’ll both be warmer, and you’ll be much more comfortable.”

Chance’s eyes widened in surprise, but the little bit of neediness Drew saw in his gaze let him know he almost had him. “Please, Chance, if not for your sake, then for mine?”

Chance closed his eyes for a moment, swallowing and licking his lips nervously before opening them and nodding. “Okay.”

Before scooting back, Chance reached for his T-shirt.

“Is it dry?” He didn’t want him wearing it if it wasn’t, but Chance nodded.

“Yeah, mostly. It’s just a bit damp at the hem. Better than nothing.” He slipped it over his head, and Drew decided he wasn’t quite sure if he agreed with Chance or not. Even battered and bruised, Chance’s body was beautiful.

Chance looked at him. “You sure about this?”

Drew nodded and lifted his arm. “Come lie down and get some rest. It’s for the best… for both of us.”

He waited patiently, only smiling a little when Chance made his way over and lay on his side, facing the fire. He settled his head on Drew’s thigh, tensing for a moment when Drew lowered his arm and then relaxing.

“You want me to move it?” Drew was worried about hurting the bruises on Chance’s torso, but Chance shook his head quickly.

“No, it’s fine.”

Chance curled up as small as he could, and when Drew looked down at him, he seemed much younger than he really was. He could see Chance was fighting the sleep he so desperately needed, so without thinking, he lifted his hand and started carding it through Chance’s hair.

“Sorry if I stink. In case you didn’t notice, I got kind of dirty today.” He smiled when Chance sighed.

“It’s fine. Kinda like how you smell.” Sleep was starting to slur Chance’s words, and Drew was pretty sure he wasn’t supposed to find it as adorable as he did.

“Thanks.” He kept his hand going, listening as Chance’s breathing evened out. “Now go to sleep.”

“M’kay.” Chance had the arm he was lying on curled under him with his hand under Drew’s thigh, while the other was held close to his chest. As he started to drift off, that hand came up and held onto Drew’s leg beside his head, holding tight. Drew couldn’t help but wonder if this was the first time anyone had offered Chance some kind of physical comfort since his mother was murdered. From what Chance had told him, it probably was.

Chance’s hair was soft, if a little greasy from two days without a shower and hiking through the woods, and it curled a little around his ears and at the back of his neck, where it was starting to grow out of its military cut. Drew continued to play with it, amazed at the trust Chance was showing him. Being vulnerable like this probably didn’t happen very often… if ever… for Chance.

Drew sighed and leaned his head back. He’d already decided if they survived this, he was going to do everything in his power to make sure Chance was safe, even if it meant lying.