Cautious, quiet, trying to avoid the tangle of arms and legs...
Lucas Scott ducked outside the shelter and shrugged in relief. He cast a glance toward the deeply slumbering jumble of worn out basketball players, peeling out of his thick gray sweatshirt. It was cool enough to send small shivers up his spine, the prickling of distaste when bare feet met frosty grass.
One could see their breath, a morning like this. The patches of last night's roaring fire, an empty pit of twisted, charred shadows.
Lucas cautiously knelt down close to the hot embers and blew gently. Darkness-and then the burst of flickering light. That sour-rancid odor of damp smoke, driving the last vestiges of slumber into the back of his mind.
Solitary, unwatched, open and unguarded-a soft smile creased his generous lips. Alone time.
Ever since Tree Hill High had organized the Father/Son Camp out-seeing the annual basketball game of the same name had proved to be a colossal failure-Lucas had been dreading this time. An entire week of Dan Scott at close quarters-luckily, he'd not had a chance to rub shoulders with Danny since the morning of their hike-a full 24 hours ago.
The small clearing was smaller than even "Dan" (strangely enough, he seemed to be taking charge), had anticipated-in a sodden drizzle, a few of the larger tents were pitched and everyone piled into them. Only Luke and Nate had braved the wet to drag half-dry limbs up to the campsite, where a few guys hastily seared meat and served up lukewarm beans.
Lucas hugged his knees, scrunched by the fire, wondering who would be the designated chef this morning. Probably himself-after all, he was first up. If up he was-
"I thought I was the only one out here."
'Sure, Daddy, I love you, too.' Lucas didn't bother to turn his head. "Can't sleep."
"Well, if you boys hadn't minded a few drops of water, we could have pitched everything last night instead of sleeping like sardines."
Lucas stared into the fire. "It's not that."
"Well, why don't you make some coffee, those branches are pretty much dry. I found them -" Dan grunted, tossing a good sized chunk of tree into the baby fire. Sparks shot upward, bark hissing hot steam. Lucas coughed, rubbing the sting from his eyes. He tried to figure out which tent contained the foodstuffs-the pots and pans were definitely in his, he could avow to that after using them for a pillow. It was either that-or Tim. And he preferred kitchenware, thank you very much.
"Let's shake a leg, it's nearly six o'clock."
Maybe Dan was why everything seemed colder. Slightly disgruntled, Luke tugged his sweatshirt on over double tees and sighed.
The coffee was bubbling away-Luke shifted, trying to avoid the worst of the heat. Boiled coffee. He found a cup and ripped the top of a cappuccino mix off with his teeth, not sure the uneven ground would support his drink.
Good. Last night, there'd been hot chocolate with mini marshmallows, and it had seemed perfect. As was the current craving for boy scout food, s'mores and crackly-browned sausages on a stick.
He'd have to check their supplies.
"Man, you look toasted."
Nathan groggily tripped over his feet and sank to the ground. "Got some more of that stuff?"
Lucas handed it over and silently followed Dan's energetic course around the campsite with his eyes.
"He been bugging you yet?"
The blond Scott concentrated on his coffee. It was boiling hot and black, Dan could have no complaints-
"Don't let him get to you."
"I'm not."
"You know, don't think this is stupid, but I feel like chocolate and graham crackers, you know, s'mores-"
Lucas ducked his head and laughed.
"Okay, so it's a little juvy-" Nathan half smiled. "What?"
Dan paused, flinging a chunk of wood into the mammoth sized pile he'd been collecting in rapid Dan precision. He heard laughter, tried to get his breath, those dang kids could be helping him- and froze.
Light hair, dark hair, almost touching. Both clutching matching cups and poking at the fire with twigs, Nate huddled in sweats and basketball jacket, Luke hugging that perpetual Keith's Bodyshop shirt to himself. Nathan clapped Luke on the shoulder, raised voices-
"Ya, and when Dad and I went camping this one time-well, we brought along this stuff and nailed a hoop to a tree-"
"No, I didn't do that much. Mom had the cafe, and besides, it'd be more of a Keith thing-"
"My mom-, I see your point."
More laughter.
And, right now, Dan could only feel that something was really wrong.