Campout: Gilbert and Matthew go camping. Stuck in the middle of wilderness, what could possibly go wrong?
Peril/Adventure/Romance
Rated for some animal violence, some sexual themes, and swearing.
This is going to be a short story, since I'm been writing another PruCan story that's ongoing. This is a just a fresh idea that will keep the juices in my brain flowing!
Enjoy the story!
Matthew threw a bag into the backseat of the car and closed the door. He turned around to see Arthur staring at him displeased.
"Now, wait…" Arthur repeated for the fifth time. "whose idea was it to go camping in the middle of nowhere, again?"
"His idea." Matthew and Gilbert simultaneously answered, pointing at each other. Matthew turned and glared at Gilbert.
"My idea? Really? You're going to start this again?" Matthew crossed his arms, challenging Gilbert, his boyfriend of two years.
"You were the one that suggested it!" Gilbert argued, holding his hands up in defense.
Matthew looked at him incredulously. "I was being sarcastic! How many times do I have to tell you that!"
"But you still suggested it, so it was your idea." Gilbert winked at him and made both his fingers on each hand into the shapes of guns, shooting twice.
"Shut up." Matthew snapped, turning toward Arthur. "It was his idea."
Arthur stared at them, his lips drawn into a fine line. Sometimes the things this couple argued over…
"Well, anyway, are you sure you guys will be fine?" Arthur asked, feeling an almost maternal instinct taking over him. In the whole group of friends, him, Gilbert, Matthew, Alfred, Antonio, and Francis, he was the oldest. If only by one year, but he was always the one to finish high school first, go to college first, and so everyone else had gone to him for advice. In a way, he was the wisest out of them all.
"Fine? We'll be more than fine. I have enough luck in me for the both of us." Gilbert swaggered over, throwing an arm over Matthew's shoulder. Matthew made a sound and rolled his eyes, but didn't move away from him.
"…Right. Because you'll need luck. How about common sense? Or at least a compass?" Arthur narrowed his eyes at Gilbert, wondering just how serious he was being.
"I'm leaving that to Babyface here." Gilbert said, using one of his many nicknames for Matthew. This one referred to the fact that Matthew looked much young than twenty-three.
Matthew wasn't amused by the nickname, and ducked out from underneath his arms. "I hope a moose eats you while we're out there."
"Aww, if a moose tried to eat me, you would save me." Gilbert pulled Matthew into his arms.
Matthew yelped, trying to push him off. "I wouldn't save you, get off me!"
"Yes you would." Gilbert grinned and nuzzled Matthew's neck, making him laugh out loud.
"Alright, fine." Matthew smiled at Gilbert. "I'd let it eat your legs, and then I would save you."
"See? I knew I could count on you." Gilbert leaned in and kissed Matthew on the lips twice.
Arthur rolled his eyes at them and sighed, looking at his watch. How ironic that the one person he didn't want to see right now was the only person that could possibly save him from having to watch this whole lovey-dovey scene in front of him.
Speaking of which, where was the idiot?
"Hey, what's taking Alfred so long?" Matthew asked out loud, as if anyone knew. His brother was an avid mountain biker so he had numerous camping supplies that he offered to let them borrow.
"I don't know." Gilbert shrugged. "Your loser of a brother probably stopped to get more gas for his Tank. That thing probably takes five gallons just to move ten feet."
Matthew sent Gilbert a warning glance. He loved the guy to death, but everyone knew only he was allowed to call his brother a loser.
As if on command, the rumbling sound of Alfred's truck could be heard as it came up the street. He pulled into the driveway and killed the engine before jumping out.
"Nice of you to show up, douche." Gilbert called waving at Alfred. "Not that we were going anywhere anytime soon."
"Shut the fuck up." Alfred said pleasantly. Despite him and Gilbert calling each other names, they were actually really good friends. "I stopped to get some gas." He patted the hood of his jacked up black Ford. He'd gotten a paint job done on it, so now red and orange flames licked the sides of the vehicle.
Gilbert gave Matthew a look like he was saying, 'What did I tell you?'
"Alright, do you have the stuff?" Matthew asked, moving on to a new subject, so he could ignore Gilbert' gloating stare.
"Yeah, they're in the back." Alfred walked to the back of his truck and pulled out a large bag. "High powered flashlights, some kindle, a few flares, flaregun…"
"Great." Matthew took the bag from him, then winced when he almost dropped the stuff. He hadn't realized how heavy all the stuff was, and Alfred had been swinging it around like it only weighed five pounds. "Did you bring the satellite phone too?"
"First thing I packed." Alfred made a checkmark in the air, looking proud of himself. "The charger for it is solar, so don't forget to set it out in the sun for a few hours everyday, even when you don't use it."
"Right." Matthew nodded. He carried the bag to Gilbert's jeep and put it in the backseat. He turned back and saw Alfred and Gilbert doing their usual fake punching/secret handshakes that they always did. Several feet away, Arthur looked on, trying to pretend he didn't feel left out.
"Alright," Matthew said, walking forward. "I think we should go before it gets too dark out."
"Agreed." Gilbert said, moving away from Alfred. "Plus I want to go to Burger King."
Matthew stared at Gilbert unimpressed.
"Hey, Mattie? I think I forgot to put something in the bag. Come get it with me." Alfred pointed toward his truck, and Matthew followed after him.
When they got to the truck, Alfred pretended to rummage around in the cab for a moment before coming up empty handed. But Matthew wasn't an idiot, and they both knew he had called him over instead for a different reason.
"Alfred, how are you doing?" Matthew asked, not wanting to beat around the bush.
"I'm doing fine. What are you talking about?" Alfred laughed at him like he was stupid, but Matthew didn't miss the sad look in his eyes.
Matthew sighed. "Alfred…"
"Look, I'm fine." Alfred blatantly lied. "This isn't the first time we've broken up. He just needs his…space. To figure things out, you know?"
Matthew hated it whenever Alfred threw out these excuses about him and Arthur's relationship. This wasn't the first time they'd broken up, but this had been the worst, by far. Everyone was wondering if maybe this had been their laast breakup, even the couple themselves.
But Matthew nodded his head anyway. He pretended that everything was fine, that he didn't know that his twin brother was hurting inside.
"But enough about me." Alfred said. He leaned in toward Matthew. "Remember, if a Grizzly Bear attacks you, trip Gilbert. We wouldn't be losing much if he got eaten."
"I heard that, douchebag." Gilbert said, flipping Alfred the bird.
Alfred grinned as he pretended to catch it and put it in his pocket. "Thanks! I'll save it for later!"
Gilbert shook his head and got into his car. Alfred turned back to Matthew. "But you guys are going to be fine, right?"
Matthew grinned. "We'll only be out there for four days, what could possibly go wrong?"