Chapter 11
Otabek counted down the days to their impending camping trip like a kid anticipating their birthday. He still couldn't believe he and JJ were going to spend the entire weekend together in the wilderness, completely alone and with the freedom to do whatever they wanted. For at least a couple of days, they would have no reason to hide how they felt about each other, finally giving them the chance to enjoy being a regular couple without the fear of someone discovering their secret.
Unfortunately, his jump issues continued. Even after starting the new off-ice training regimen Alain planned which put more emphasis on balance, Otabek saw little improvement in his jumps.
The Friday they were supposed to leave for the campsite was the worst by far. He had intended to work extra hard on his training to make up for the Saturday on-ice sessions he would miss, but his body simply refused to cooperate. He took fall after fall on jumps that used to come second nature to him, muttering a mix of Kazakh, Russian, and English expletives under his breath as he pushed himself off the ice and brushed the shards off the back of his pants.
"Fucking hell!" he cursed after yet another fall on his triple lutz combination, groaning as he picked himself up again. Why was this so damn difficult? He hadn't even grown that much taller! Last night, he had JJ help measure his new height and discovered he had only added an extra 2.5 centimeters to his frame from the last time he had been measured at Dr. Kumar's office a few weeks ago. He didn't remember ever having this much trouble with his previous growth spurts, although, to be fair, he hadn't been doing as difficult tech back then.
At least he wasn't the only one having jump troubles today. Moving over to the boards for a water break, Otabek frowned as he watched the second half of JJ's free skate runthrough. Right after his footwork sequence, he had planned a difficult triple flip-euler-triple salchow combination, but he popped the first jump into a double flip, not even attempting the rest of the combo. That was followed by a step-out on his triple lutz, then a fall on the end of a triple axel-double toe combination. Though he managed to do an easy double axel to complete his jumping passes, at the very end of the program, JJ fell out of his final spin, laughing as he sat on his butt at the center of the ice while the last couple measures of his music blared over the rink's speakers.
Otabek failed to see what was so funny.
Neither did Nathalie, an unamused scowl on her face as she watched from her spot at the other end of the rink. "JJ, over here," she barked. "You, too, Otabek!"
Otabek, who had been about to set up for another attempt at a triple axel, came to an abrupt stop, kicking up some snow. Him, too? Catching his eye, JJ shrugged and motioned for him to follow him over to the boards.
"What in the world was that?" Nathalie asked JJ once he took a sip of water from the bottle she handed him. "I haven't seen you skate that badly in ages! It looked like you weren't even trying out there."
"Sorry." JJ swiped his arm over his mouth. "I guess I just have my mind on other things."
Nathalie's eyes darted over to Otabek. "Is that your excuse, too?"
"Um…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I've been trying, but...yeah, it's been kind of tough to focus today."
Not that he would have skated much better even if he had been able to concentrate...
Sighing, Nathalie glanced down at the watch on her wrist. "Okay, fine," she said. "This session ends in twenty minutes. Cleanly land five triple jumps of your choosing, and I'll let you two leave early."
"Really?" JJ asked.
"It's not like you're getting much out of this practice anyway. Now, five jumps, go!"
Properly motivated, JJ had no problem landing his five triples, electing to do two triple axels and three lutzes, the last one in combination with a triple toe-loop just to show off. Otabek had a little more trouble, still having issues with consistently finding his new center of balance after his growth spurt, but after falling on his only attempt at the triple axel and two-footing his triple loop, he managed to land the required five jumps, sticking to only doing triple salchows. Even if the quad had become elusive, it still remained his most solid jump.
"Okay, good job," Nathalie said when Otabek skated back over after landing his last jump.
"So, we can go now?" JJ asked, wiping the sweat off his brow with his T-shirt.
"Yes, yes, you can go."
"Thanks, Maman!"
She affectionately rolled her eyes as JJ gave her a hug and kissed her cheek. "When you get back, I expect you two to be refreshed, focused, and ready to get straight back to work, but for now…" Her face softening, Nathalie returned JJ's embrace. "Have a good time on your trip. And be safe, okay?"
"We will."
"I mean it, JJ. No jumping from trees, wandering off into an uncharted area, or playing with wild animals. Make sure to wear plenty of sunscreen and bug repellent, and if either of you starts feeling sick or is injured, call me right away. I don't care, day or night. Even if it's in the middle of the competition, I'll have my phone turned on vibrate just in case something happens."
"I promise, we'll be careful," Otabek assured her.
"Good." After letting go of JJ, she surprised Otabek by giving him a hug as well. "Take good care of my baby," she said softly. "Keep him out of trouble."
"Um, I will," he promised again.
"And try to relax while you're gone." Pulling away, she patted him on his upper arms. "Your jumps will come back with time as long as you keep working hard, so don't worry about it so much."
Otabek managed a small smile. He needed to hear that after yet another terrible practice. "I'll try."
"Beka, come on!" JJ called out. He had already skated over to the nearest gate, waving a hand above his head. "Let's go!"
Ignoring the small voice at the back of his mind warning him that his weekend would probably be far better spent practicing his jumps than fooling around with JJ on a camping trip, Otabek grabbed his jacket from where he had tossed it over the boards and slipped it on.
"I'm coming!"
After they both took quick showers and changed into their street clothes, Otabek and JJ headed out to the rink's parking lot.
JJ's BMW didn't have enough storage capacity to hold all their camping gear (plus whatever luggage Camille and her boyfriend brought along for their secret hotel getaway), so his father had agreed to switch vehicles with him for the weekend. Alain met them over by his gray Chevrolet Silverado High Country, which JJ and Otabek had already loaded with their things earlier that morning.
"Is Camille not here?" he asked, pulling his keys out of his pocket and exchanging them for JJ's.
"Not yet, but she should be here soon," JJ said. "I got a text that she's on her way."
"Good, good. Well, I'm sure your mother has already given you the whole lecture about staying safe and keeping in contact, so I won't waste my time repeating it, but we're putting a lot of trust in you boys. Have fun, but also be responsible and follow Camille's lead. If she –"
"Did someone say my name?"
An unfamiliar blue car came to a stop behind the truck, the back passenger side door opening as Camille stepped out. She had certainly dressed the part of a camp chaperone, garbed in faded jeans, hiking boots, and a light jacket with a sturdy backpack slung over her shoulder. She pulled some cash out of her pocket, using it to pay the man in the driver's seat.
"Thanks for the ride," she said, the driver giving a wave of acknowledgment before she shut the door and the car drove off. She then walked over to join them by the truck. "Hey, I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long."
"Nope, you're just in time," JJ said. "Here, let me take your bag."
"Oh, thanks." Camille handed JJ her backpack, which he put in the back seat.
"Thanks for agreeing to look after the boys this weekend," Alain said, giving her a hug. "Nathalie and I feel so much better about this trip, knowing these two have a responsible adult coming along to look after them."
"Oh, um, yeah, sure." She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Happy to be of service."
"I was just telling them to be sure to listen to you and stay out of trouble. I know, I know, you're just a few years older than JJ, but you're in charge, Camille. Remember that. We're counting on you to bring them back safe and sound."
"Papa, we'll be fine," JJ said with an exasperated roll of his eyes. "You and Maman worry too much. It's not like we're little kids, you know."
"Yes, well, we're your parents. No matter how old you get, we're always going to worry, so get used to it already." Alain reached up, affectionately ruffling JJ's hair. "Now, are you sure you have everything you need? Food, water, sleeping bags, tent, first aid kit?"
"Yes, sir. I checked the list twice this morning," Otabek assured Alain. Since he had the most camping experience and knew what best to bring, he had been put in charge of the majority of the packing."The only thing we're missing is firewood, but we'll be able to purchase some when we check in at the campsite."
"And you have the address to the camping grounds?"
"Saved to my phone." JJ held up his cell, opened to his Notes app. "And, yes, before you ask, our phones are charged up, and we brought plenty of power banks to get us through the weekend. I also have my Outdoors Card, my driver's license, a credit card, and some cash in case of emergency."
"Okay, okay, I get the message!" Chuckling, Alain held up his hands in mock surrender. "I'll get out of your hair and let you get going. Oh, and JJ?"
JJ, who had been about to open the driver's side door, looked back over his shoulder. "Yeah?"
"Text us as soon as you arrive so we know we got there okay."
"I will," he promised, giving Alain a wave good-bye before climbing up into the driver's seat, joining Otabek and Camille in the truck.
It was by far the most luxurious truck Otabek had ever ridden in. The interior featured buttery soft leather seats with plenty of leg room and a fancy touchscreen in the center of the dashboard that was used to control the stereo and on-board navigation system, among other things. An old Amy Grant song started playing on the radio as soon as JJ started the ignition and backed out of the parking spot.
"Oh, man, I hope I don't come to regret this…" Camille said from the backseat. Sighing, she sat back and rubbed at her forehead. "Did you hear Tonton Alain? 'We're counting on you to bring them back safe and sound'? Talk about a guilt trip! And Tata Nathalie must have sent me like a million texts this morning with links to articles about all the dangers of camping and how-to videos about treating every kind of animal bite imaginable."
"Yeah, we got some of those texts too," JJ said, chuckling. "We'll be fine, though, and if, God forbid, something does happen, you won't be too far away. Speaking of which, did you bring the address of your hotel?"
"Oh, yeah, here." She unzipped the side pocket on her backpack and pulled out a slip of paper, handing it over to JJ over the back of his seat. "It should only be about a short drive away from your campsite, if Google is to be believed. I managed to get us a booking at the Elora Mill Hotel & Spa. It's a bit of a splurge, but we had been saving up to go on a weekend getaway anyway, so why not live a little? At least the transportation is free!"
"Niiiice." JJ passed the address to Otabek since he was driving. "Mind inputting that into the navigation system for me? It should be pretty self-explanatory."
"Yeah, sure. Is it okay if I hook up my phone, too?" He pointed to the USB cord Alain had left dangling from one of the ports. "I downloaded some music for us to listen to along the way."
"Go ahead!"
Their first stop was the off-campus apartment Camille shared with her boyfriend, Christian, downtown. Along the way, they passed by the St. George campus of the University of Toronto, where she attended most of her classes.
"So, are you still planning to attend U of T after graduation, JJ?" Camille asked.
"That's the plan, assuming I'm accepted."
She rolled her eyes. "Come on, with your grades, of course you'll get in! Anyway, you should drop by one day when you have some free time. The official guided tours they give to prospective students are fine, but if you really want to know what student life is like, I'd be happy to give you a real tour of the campus."
"Sounds awesome," JJ said. "I'll have to take you up on that some time. So, I forgot, do I turn on that road or the next?"
"The next. It'll be the fourth building on the right."
They pulled up to a nondescript three-story brick building a couple of minutes later. Camille grabbed her backpack from the other side of the backseat and opened her door to hop out.
"I'd invite you in, but the place is kind of a mess at the moment. Chris is working on a new piece, so he's taken over the living room with all his material and supplies. We'll be back down in a few minutes. I just want to change out of these clothes and pack a couple of things I forgot last night."
"No rush," JJ said. "We'll be waiting."
"Thanks." She slung the backpack over her shoulder and closed the door before jogging up the front stairs to the entrance of the apartment building.
"So, have you ever met her partner before?" Otabek asked JJ while they waited.
"A few times. I actually helped them move into this apartment. He's a good guy. I like him."
"Is he studying to be a teacher like Camille?"
"Nah, his major is something called Visual Studies, I think. I'm not really sure what it is, to be honest, but he's into the art scene."
"Painting?"
JJ shrugged. "It sounds like Chris does a little of everything. Painting, photography, sculpting… You name it, he's probably at least dabbled in it. A few months ago, before you moved here, he and Camille invited me to an exhibit where he was showing one of his pieces. I think I still have a picture of it on my phone…" He scrolled through his camera roll. "Yeah, here it is. I think it's supposed to convey the passage of time or something? I don't really remember."
He passed the phone over to Otabek so he could have a better look. "Huh. Well, it's certainly...interesting," Otabek said, turning the phone on its side to see if looking at it in landscape view made the abstract sculpture any more comprehensible.
It didn't.
JJ laughed. "Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction, too. It got first place in a prestigious competition hosted by the school, though, so I guess it's supposed to be good."
A few minutes later, Camille, now wearing a pretty floral sundress and sandals, returned with her boyfriend in tow. Even if JJ hadn't told him that Christian was an artist, Otabek would have pegged him as one on sight. He gave off the vibe, dressed in skinny jeans and a boldly patterned button-down shirt, his hair pulled back into a manbun. They stored their suitcases in the covered bed of the truck with the camping gear, then climbed into the backseat.
"Hey, what's up?" Christian said, reaching for his seat belt. "Long time, no see, JJ."
"Yeah, good to see you, too, man." JJ pulled back out onto the street and drove straight ahead, following the instructions of the onboard navigation system he had largely ignored until then. "How have you been?"
"Eh, been feeling kind of blocked on my latest project, but I'm looking forward to taking a break this weekend. A change of scenery could be just the inspiration I need."
"Yeah, I know we're just doing this as your cover story, but we really could use some quality one-on-one time," Camille said. "With his internship at the gallery and me taking care of Madi and Pip, we've been so busy this summer, it feels like we never see each other. Oh, by the way, Chris, this is Otabek, JJ's boy– I, uh, mean, his best friend."
Inhaling sharply at her near slip-up, Otabek exchanged a look with an equally startled JJ, but Christian just laughed.
"No, you got it right the first time. You mean his boyfriend, right?"
Camille rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but you weren't supposed to let them know you know!" She pressed her hands together in front of her face in apology. "I'm really, really sorry, guys! He overheard me talking when you called to ask about going on this trip. I could have sworn he was wearing his earbuds like he usually does when working on his art."
"I was, but I took them out because I wanted to ask you what you wanted for dinner," Chris said. "Anyway, it's cool. You guys don't have to worry about me spilling the beans to anybody. It's not like I know any of her family members outside of JJ."
"That's not true! You also know Marie."
"Okay, I stand corrected. I know JJ and one of her many, many siblings, who only found out about me because we ran into her by chance at Timmie's."
"Speaking of which…" Camille unbuckled her seat belt and leaned forward, pointing to the Tim Hortons coming up ahead. "Mind if we make a quick pit stop? I've been craving some Timbits since this morning."
"I wouldn't mind grabbing a coffee," Otabek said. He intended to stay up as late as possible tonight, taking advantage of having JJ completely to himself.
Christian raised his hand, bringing the vote to three. "Yeah, me, too. Didn't get much sleep last night."
JJ chuckled, switching over to the left lane. "Sounds like we're going for a Timmie's run!"
After grabbing some snacks and refreshments at Tim Hortons, their road trip continued. The four of them spent much of the long hour-and-a-half drive to Elora singing along (badly, in Otabek and Christian's case) to the playlist Otabek had created especially for the trip, playing silly car games like "I Spy" and "21 Questions", and gorging themselves on far too many Chocolate Truffle Timbits to be healthy. Otabek promised himself to do an extra hundred sit-ups in the morning to make up for the excess calories before popping another delicious chocolate-covered donut hole into his mouth, having long lost count of how many he had already eaten. Five? Six? Twelve?
Well, whatever. This weekend was supposed to be a break from skating, so why not have a cheat day from his approved diet?
After passing what seemed like endless fields of corn, they finally reached the small picturesque town – really, more of a village – of Elora. Otabek was immediately charmed by the 19th century architecture of many of the limestone buildings, some of which had been converted into boutique shops, restaurants, and cafes. They got their first good look at the Grand River driving up to the hotel, which was perched above a cliff overlooking the gorge. As the name suggested, it had been converted from the town's old sawmill, combining the modern and the historic into a high-class luxury hotel.
JJ pulled up to the front entrance of the hotel to drop Camille and Christian off. "Do you need any help?" he asked, leaning out his open door as they got out.
"Nah, I think we've got this." Christian opened the tailgate and started unloading their luggage. "We didn't bring much."
"Okay." JJ sat back in his seat and shut the door, rolling down his window when Camille tapped on the glass. "Hey, did you forget something?"
She shook her head, resting her arms across the inside of the window area. "Just wanted to tell you boys to be safe out there, okay? And if you run into any trouble, day or night, give me a call, and we'll come as soon as we can find a ride."
"Oh, my God, you sound just like Maman!" he said, laughing. "Seriously, she said almost the exact same thing when we left practice."
Camille smiled. "Yeah, I hear that a lot from Madi and Pip. Guess it's because I spent so much time over at your house when we were little and you still lived in Montreal, but there are worse people to be compared to than Tata Nat– Oh, Chris, wait a sec!"
Christian, who had been heading toward the front entrance of the hotel, came to a stop. Camille jogged over and unzipped the leather bag he had slung over his shoulder, pulling out a small brown paper bag.
Walking back over to the truck, she handed the bag to JJ. "Here."
"What is it?" he asked. "Lunch? Thanks, but I think we've already had our fill of Timbits. I don't think I could eat another bite."
Otabek rubbed his bloated stomach. He wouldn't be surprised if he had gained at least a pound or two over the past couple of hours; those Timbits were dangerously addictive. "Me neither."
"No, no, it's nothing like that," she said, waving her hand back-and-forth. "It's just a little something I thought you might need this weekend. Uh, maybe wait until I'm inside to open it, though."
"Okay…" His brows furrowed in mild confusion, JJ passed the bag over to Otabek.
Though he was just as curious to see what was inside, Otabek respected Camille's request, setting it on his lap unopened.
"Anyway, have fun!" she said. "We'll see you on Sunday."
"Yeah, you, too. What time do you want us to pick you up?"
"Oh, around ten would probably be fine. Gives us a little time to sleep in, then eat some breakfast." Camille turned around, calling out to Christian, who was waiting for her at the entrance. "Chris, is a ten o'clock pick-up on Sunday okay with you?"
He gave her the thumbs-up in reply.
"Ten it is," JJ said. "We'll see you then. Au revoir!"
"Salut!"
With a wave goodbye, she joined Christian at the entrance, giving him a kiss on the cheek before they headed inside to check in. The second the door closed behind them, JJ turned his attention to the mysterious bag in Otabek's lap.
"Open it. Let's see what's in there."
"Okay…" Otabek unfurled the top of the paper bag and hesitantly peered inside, the corners of his mouth quirking into an amused smile when he saw the contents. "Well, she wasn't wrong. These will certainly come in handy this weekend."
"What? Let me see, let me see."
Otabek held up the bag so that he could have a look inside.
JJ's eyes widened at the sight of the new box of condoms and travel-sized bottle of lube in the bag. "Did she really –?"
"She did."
Once he got over his initial shock, JJ burst into uncontrollable laughter. "Oh, Cami," he said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "What am I going to do with that girl?"
"I already had some packed," Otabek said, rolling the top of the bag back down and setting it in between their seats, "but I suppose it never hurts to have some more on hand..."
They arrived at the campgrounds a short time later. After checking in at the front gate and buying enough firewood to hopefully last the whole weekend, JJ drove them to their campsite while Otabek served as navigator using the map they had been given. Since there was no individual address for the site, they couldn't rely on the truck's onboard navigation system to guide them.
"Is this it?" JJ asked, parking in front of an empty lot.
"I think so?" The map wasn't the most detailed, and there wasn't much to differentiate between individual sites, but looking around, Otabek spotted a sign painted with the number of their assigned lot. "Yeah, this is the place," he said, opening his door and getting out to take it all in.
They had lucked out in reserving one of the more secluded camping sites in the conservation area. Almost the entire lot was surrounded by cedar trees, providing plenty of shade from the summer sun, and came equipped with a wooden picnic table and fire pit like all the others. If he listened closely, Otabek could hear the faint sound of a radio playing country music in the distance, but it was easy enough to ignore, the campers far enough away that he couldn't even see their site through the trees.
"Wow…" JJ came up beside him, letting out a low whistle as he put his phone back in his pocket. He must have just texted his parents as promised to let them know they had arrived safely. "It's beautiful, Beka," he said, draping an arm around Otabek's shoulders. "It's like our own private paradise, eh?"
"Yeah," Otabek breathed. It wasn't the mountains of his beloved homeland, but the Canadian wilderness possessed its own natural beauty, with vibrant clear blue skies and lush evergreen foliage. He was already inspired to pull out his camera and start taking photographs.
But that would have to wait until later. First, they needed to set up camp.
"Come on, let's put up the tent," he said, ducking out of JJ's hold and heading to the back of the truck to start unloading their things.
Otabek pulled down the tailgate and reached for the red duffel bag containing their tent. It was on loan from one of JJ's major sponsors, Cast Wheels, which had also provided the majority of their camping gear in exchange for JJ promising to post photos of their trip on his social media to show off the goods. Coming up behind him, JJ wrapped his arms around Otabek's waist and kissed his shoulder.
"Mmm, can't we take a little break first? We just got here..."
One of his hands wandered downward, making it clear what kind of break he had in mind.
Otabek closed his eyes and pressed his lips together, suppressing the moan forming in the back of his throat. "JJ, we really –"
"Turn around." His mouth was right next to Otabek's ear, the command in his voice sending a pleasant shiver up his spine.
Obediently, Otabek turned so that he was facing JJ and wrapped his arms around JJ's neck. Expecting a kiss, he let out a small squeal instead when JJ placed his hands on his hips and lifted him up, setting him down on the tailgate. Only then did JJ finally kiss him, settling in between Otabek's spread legs.
Otabek moaned softly as he pulled JJ closer, wrapping his legs around JJ's waist. On the ground, he usually needed to crane his neck upwards so JJ could kiss him, but there was no need for that this time, the tailgate putting them at almost equal heights. Otabek took advantage of the lack of height difference, disengaging JJ's lips to trail kisses along his sharp jawline. JJ let out a small gasp when Otabek reached his ear and lightly nibbled on his earlobe.
"Oh, God, Beks…"
His hands snaked their way underneath Otabek's T-shirt, impatiently lifting it upwards. Getting the hint, Otabek raised his arms, but midway pulling the shirt up his back, JJ froze, a loud drawn-out howl ripping through the relative quiet of the forest.
"W-What was that?" he asked, instinctively lowering his voice. He released the bottom hem of the shirt, letting the cotton fabric drop back down, and tightened his embrace around Otabek, the pounding of his heartbeat noticeable even through their clothes. "Do you think it's a wolf? What should we do?"
Otabek bit down on his bottom lip, burying his face in JJ's shoulder to keep himself from laughing. It wasn't an unreasonable fear, especially for an inexperienced camper like JJ, but he had done some online research the night before, looking up what dangerous animals they might possibly expect to encounter at the campgrounds. While there was the occasional bobcat sighting, wolves were generally not found in the area.
"I think that's just a dog howling," Otabek said once he trusted himself to speak again. "I saw a sign at the front gate house that said dogs were allowed at the campgrounds. It's probably coming from the next site over."
"Are you sure? Like, one hundred percent positive?" He relaxed his hold around Otabek, but he didn't completely let go.
"Maybe not one hundred percent, but, yeah, I'm almost certain. Besides, wolves prefer the dark. It's too early for them to be active."
"Oh, right." JJ finally pulled away, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "I knew that."
The dog howled again, followed by a couple of loud, yappy barks. Otabek hoped it wasn't a bad omen of the night to come; the last thing he wanted was to be kept up all night by a noisy dog.
Although, if he was kept up by other activities…
"Anyway, speaking of the dark, the sun is going to set in about an hour. We really should get the tent pitched and a fire started while it's still light out." He'd let himself get distracted.
"Oh, I think the tent is already pitched," JJ joked as Otabek accidentally brushed up against the already prominent bulge in his jeans while sliding off the tailgate back to the ground.
"JJ!" Otabek laughed, lightly pushing him back. "Later," he promised. "Now, help me set up camp. It'll be done faster if we work together. And then, I'll…" Though they were all alone, Otabek rose up on his toes and brought his mouth next to JJ's ear, whispering some of the things he planned to do to him.
It was all the encouragement JJ needed, his eyes going wide as he listened to Otabek's explicit ideas. "Yes, sir!" he said when Otabek had finished, bringing his hand to his forehead in a mock salute. He grabbed the bag with the tent and set it down on the nearby picnic table, getting straight to work unpacking it. "Wow, this thing has more pieces than I thought. Any idea where you want to set it up?"
Rubbing his chin, Otabek studied the lot, looking for the best location. It needed to be somewhere with flat terrain that was clear of any plants, rocks, and branches. Somewhere close to the fire pit was good, but they didn't want to be too close and run the risk of it catching on fire. Starting from about fifteen feet away from the pit, Otabek walked a circle around it, making note of any uneven ground until he found the perfect spot. "Here," he decided, marking the area by laying down a green tarp.
After that, they both put on their jackets – the temperature had begun to drop with the impending sunset – then got to work assembling the tent, working together to connect the poles. Every once in a while, Otabek took out JJ's phone, which he had handed over, and snapped some pictures of him for the sponsored posts. "How are we going to explain why Camille isn't in any of these photos?" he asked, taking a few steps backwards to get JJ's entire body in the shot. "Won't your parents think it's strange?"
"Nah." JJ momentarily paused to pose for the picture before getting back to work. "She hates having her picture taken maybe even more than you do."
"Oh?"
"Her nose." He touched the bridge of his own nose. "Cami's super self-conscious about it. Has been for years. She broke it while playing hockey with her older brothers when she was twelve, and ever since, she's had a small bump right about here."
"But you can barely even tell!" Otabek exclaimed. He hadn't noticed it himself until earlier that day, when he happened to catch glimpse of her face in profile while they were in Tim Hortons. To be honest, he rather liked it; it gave her conventionally pretty face a little bit of character.
"That's what we keep telling her, but she doesn't believe us," JJ said with a shrug. "Anyway, she rarely poses for pictures nowadays – and certainly not for social media – so Maman and Papa won't think anything of it, I guarantee it."
"That's good."
"But they might be suspicious if you don't show up in any pics."
"Me?"
"Come on, it'll look silly if I'm supposedly on a trip with two other people, but I'm the only one being photographed," JJ pointed out. "Set up your tripod and put the camera on a timer. We can credit the pics to Cami."
Otabek sighed, slipping JJ's phone back into his pocket. He supposed JJ had a point; it would be weird if he didn't appear in at least a few photos from their trip. "Fine, but I get final approval on which ones you post online."
"Of course."
Otabek grabbed his good camera from the truck and set up his tripod in a spot with a good view of where they were putting up the tent. After setting the camera on a timer, he placed it on top of the tripod, then quickly got into position, pretending to help JJ join together another set of poles. At least it gave him a good excuse not to look directly at the camera. As long as his face was mostly hidden from view, the photo would probably turn out decent enough.
Half an hour – and three more staged photos – later, they finished pitching the tent. Clapping his hands together, JJ stepped back and admired their handiwork. "Hey, not bad, not bad at all," he said. "I know I requested a three-person tent on account of Camille supposedly being here with us too, but it's still way bigger than I expected. Puts the tent I slept in that one time when I was a kid to shame."
"Yeah, it's very spacious," Otabek agreed as he refolded the instructions and put them back in the bag. He'd slept in bigger ones with his family, but for only just the two of them, it was practically a mansion.
JJ unzipped the door at the front of the tent, ducking inside to check it out. "Wow, lots of headroom, too. I can sit on my knees, no problem. Beka, come in here!"
Holding up the front flap, Otabek poked his head inside. JJ had already made himself at home, laying down and propping himself up on his elbows. "Come on, join me!" he said again, patting the spot next to him. "There's plenty of space."
Otabek arched an eyebrow. "Oh, no, I'm not falling for that," he said, knowing exactly what JJ had in mind. "I told you, later."
"But Beka –"
"We still need to build the fire. Come on."
"Fine." With a heavy sigh, JJ crawled back out of the tent and stood back up, following Otabek back to the truck to get the bundle of firewood they had bought. "It's too bad these already come pre-chopped," he said as they carried the firewood over to the pit. "I was looking forward to showing off my wood-chopping skills."
Using the old pocketknife he had inherited from his grandfather, Otabek cut through the twine holding the bundle together. "You can chop up wood?"
"Yeah, all good, strong Canadian men know how to chop wood. It's in the blood, you know," JJ joked, flexing his biceps. "Seriously, though, during the winter, cutting up wood for the fireplace is one of my weekly chores. There's nothing Maman loves more than sitting in front of a cozy fire to read one of her romance novels when it's snowing too much to even think about going to the rink. I've never lit a fire myself, though. Papa usually takes care of that part. You really know how to build one?"
"Um, yeah." Putting his knife back in his jacket pocket, Otabek pushed the enticing image of a shirtless JJ swinging an axe to the back of his mind (also regretting that the firewood came pre-chopped) and kneeled down beside the fire pit. "I've never done it completely by myself either, but I've helped Ake enough times over the years that I know the basics. Can you go find some big rocks, at least about this size?" He formed a circle with his fingers, indicating the size he had in mind. "It's okay if some of them are a little smaller, but we'll need a lot of them to go around the entire pit."
"On it!" JJ said.
While he was busy searching the campground, Otabek reached for a few of the logs and laid them down side-by-side in the center of the pit. Though JJ's sponsors had generously provided them with a propane grill, Otabek decided they would use the fire for cooking, at least for the first night. He always found roughing it more fun than relying on more modern conveniences, so a platform fire was the best choice. For the second layer, he placed slightly shorter logs perpendicular to the ones on the bottom, then did the same with the third and final layer before joining JJ in looking for more rocks.
It took them a while to find enough to surround the entire fire pit. By the time they completed the stone ring and unfolded their camp chairs – they put out a third one for "Camille" – the sun was already beginning its descent behind the cedar trees, the sky tinged with various shades of red and orange – the "golden hour", as photographers liked to call it. Otabek took a short break to take some shots of the impending sunset with his camera still sitting on the tripod. He then placed some smaller pieces of wood to use as kindling on top of the stacked logs, along with some dry bark and leaves he found around the trees, and lit them with a match, a small flame bursting forth.
"Ooo!" JJ, who Otabek had sent to fill a bucket of water from the freestanding water faucet on their lot, set the bucket down on the ground and took a seat in his chair. "You did it! It's...kinda puny, though, isn't it?" He held out his hands in front of him. "I can barely feel the heat."
"That's because this type of fire is slow burning and good for cooking," Otabek explained, standing back up and dusting the dirt off his jeans as best he could. "It's still summer, so we don't really need a fire to keep warm. The fire will gradually burn downwards through the layers until it reaches the bottom, then we can put a grill grate on top to cook our dinner."
"Ah, I see," JJ said, sitting back in his chair. "How long is that going to take? I'm getting kind of hungry."
Otabek arched an eyebrow. "Even after all the Timbits we ate on the way up here?" JJ hadn't eaten quite as many as Otabek had, but he had still gobbled down more than his fair share.
He shrugged, a sheepish grin on his lips. "What can I say? I have a separate stomach for Timbits."
Lucky. Otabek's stomach was still pretty stuffed, leaving him without much of an appetite – at least, not for food. "Well, cooking over an open fire is similar to barbecuing. It'll take awhile before it gets hot enough to cook on, probably about another thirty minutes or so," he said, walking over to stand in front of JJ's chair and holding out his hands to him, "but until then, I can think of something we can do to pass the time…"
"Oh?" His grin widening, JJ grabbed onto Otabek's hands and allowed him to pull him up out of the chair. "And what would that be?" he asked as Otabek led him a few feet away from the fire and wrapped his arms around JJ's neck.
"I think you already know…"
After giving him a teasing kiss on the lips, Otabek slowly slid his hands down JJ's chest until he reached the front of his jeans.
JJ inhaled a sharp breath as Otabek began unzipping his fly. "Wait, you want to do it out here?" he asked, his eyes darting around the vicinity. "When we worked so hard to get the tent pitched?"
"Yeah," Otabek said, dropping down to his knees in front of JJ. With all the trees surrounding the lot, they were in little danger of being seen by anybody. "After all, there's no reason to hide this weekend, right?"
"Right." A gentle smile on his face, JJ relaxed and brushed his fingers against Otabek's cheek. "No reason to hide."
Otabek stared up at the ceiling of their tent, wide awake.
To the left of him, JJ lay curled up against his side, the two of them sharing a double-wide sleeping bag converted from their individual singles. He had fallen asleep shortly after the last time they had had fucked, having passed out in post-orgasmic bliss, but slumber had eluded Otabek, even well past his usual bedtime.
Probably shouldn't have drank so much coffee on the drive up here… He knew how wired caffeine had a tendency to make him. That was why he usually stuck to drinking lower-caffeinated teas later in the day.
To make matters worse, his bladder was close to bursting, but the way JJ had wrapped himself around him made it near impossible to move without disturbing him. Otabek gave it a try anyway, managing to partially unzip his side of the sleeping bag before JJ tightened his hold on him.
"Don't go…" he mumbled.
Otabek sighed in mild exasperation. "JJ, come on, I really, really need to take a leak," he said softly. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Promise?" His eyes remained closed.
"Promise."
Reassured, JJ finally released his grip around Otabek, allowing him to sit up and finish unzipping the side of the sleeping bag. In the near darkness – the only illumination came from the moonlight pouring through the tent's mesh-covered windows – he felt around for some clothes, locating his discarded boxers and a T-shirt. The shirt was far too large on him – obviously JJ's – but it would do. After kissing JJ lightly on the cheek, he grabbed a nearby flashlight and crawled out of the tent on his hands and knees.
"Fuck!"
Standing up once he was outside, Otabek rubbed at his arms. It may have been late summer, but the temperature had dropped significantly since they first arrived at the campground, a distinct chill in the air without JJ's body heat to keep him warm. He turned on his flashlight and waved it around the vicinity until he found his Team Kazakhstan jacket where he had left it earlier in the evening, flung over the top of his chair by the fire pit. His sneakers were nearby, too, having been carelessly kicked aside in the hurry to take off his jeans on the way to the tent. He slipped both of them on, then rushed as fast as possible to the vault toilet located a short walk from their campsite before he pissed himself. As much as Otabek generally enjoyed roughing it, not having to dig their own latrine was one convenience he didn't mind in the least.
On his way back to the tent, the dog from earlier let out another prolonged howl, followed by a series of loud, frenzied barks. Otabek's grip on the flashlight tightened, the tiny hairs on the back of his neck standing up at attention as his body instinctively went on high alert. In all likelihood, the dog had probably just been spooked by a raccoon or some other small animal that lived in the area – nothing to be too concerned about. That didn't stop Otabek from increasing the pace of his steps, not wanting to be caught alone in the wilderness with nothing to defend himself except his grandfather's –
He came to an abrupt stop.
"No," he muttered, patting the pocket of his jacket. "No, no, no. This can't be happening…"
Switching the flashlight to his other hand, Otabek checked the other pocket with no luck. It was gone. His grandfather's old pocketknife was missing.
Closing his eyes, Otabek inhaled a deep breath to calm himself. Now was not the time to panic.
The knife had been in his pocket, right? He remembered using it to cut the twine holding the firewood together, then… Maybe he had put it in the pocket of his jeans instead? No, he was almost certain it was his jacket pocket. Which meant…
"Fuck."
Otabek turned back around. The smart thing to do was head back to camp, get some rest, and come back with JJ to look for the knife in the morning. It would be much easier to spot it on the ground once the sun was up with an extra pair of eyes to help, but… He knew himself. No way would he be able to get any sleep at all until the knife was back in his hands, safe and sound.
He started retracing his steps, keeping the beam of the flashlight focused on the ground in front of him. The dog's barking faded into the distance as he desperately searched for any sign of the antique pocketknife hidden among the grass. How could he be so fucking careless? He should have put it back in his bag as soon as he was finished using it. He would never forgive himself if –
The sound of a twig snapping broke his concentration.
Heart pounding, Otabek pivoted back around.
The light from his flashlight beamed straight into a pair of very familiar gray-blue eyes. JJ stood in front of him, dressed only in his boxers, his jacket, Nike sneakers, and a Reckless Abandon T-shirt that was obviously a size or two too small for his frame, his navel sticking out from below the bottom hemline.
"JJ, oh, my god, you scared me," Otabek said, sighing in relief. "Why didn't you say something? I thought –"
"Um, mind putting that thing down?" a squinting JJ asked, holding a hand in front of his face to shield his eyes from the brightness. "You're kinda blinding me here."
"Oh, right. Sorry." He lowered the beam back down to the ground and bridged the short distance between them. "What are you doing out here? I thought you were asleep."
"I'm the one who should be asking you that. You said you would be right back, but it's been almost twenty minutes since you left the tent."
Had it really been that long? Otabek had lost all track of time without his cell phone on hand. In hindsight, he probably should have brought it along with him. Even if the toilet was only a short distance away, it was always important to have some means of communication when you were walking alone in the wilderness. That was Camping 101. He blamed his full bladder for the lapse in judgment.
"Oh, God, I was so scared, Beks," JJ continued in a hoarse voice, pulling Otabek into a tight embrace. "The barking woke me up, but when I looked around, you hadn't come back yet. I didn't know what had happened to you… If you had gotten lost… Or if you had been attacked by someone or something…"
Remembering how worried JJ had been the last time he had disappeared, after Samantha's pregnancy scare, Otabek rubbed his back in comfort. "I'm okay, I'm okay," he reassured him. "Sorry, I really didn't mean to be gone so long. On the way back, I realized I had lost my pocketknife, so I was looking for it and –"
"Oh!" JJ loosened his hold on Otabek and reached into his own jacket pocket, pulling something out. "You mean, this?" He unfurled his fingers, revealing the missing knife resting in his palm. "I found it laying on the ground next to your chair. It must have fallen out of your pocket."
"Alhamdulillah." Otabek exhaled in relief, taking the knife from JJ's outstretched hand. "If I had lost this for good…"
"Is it really that important to you? It's just a rusty old knife. I would have been more than happy to buy you a new one if you had lost it, one with all the bells and whistles."
"It was Ata's – my grandfather's." Reverently, he rubbed his thumb over the silver nameplate in the center of the wooden handle, which read "Altin" in faded Cyrillic lettering. "He died of a sudden heart attack when I was eight, but we were, um, very close. His death…" Otabek swallowed hard. "Well, it was the first time I had really experienced the passing of somebody I knew...somebody I loved."
"Oh, Beka…"
"It hit me pretty hard," he continued, his voice strained. Even after so many years, his grandfather's death was difficult to talk about. "I was old enough to understand that he was gone and I would never see him again, but even though I knew that in my brain, my heart refused to accept it, you know?" He swiped a hand over his cheek. "So, a few weeks after the funeral, Ake took me on a weekend camping trip to Charyn Canyon, just me and him. It was on that trip that he gave me this knife, along with my compass. Ata had given them to him when he was a young boy, so he passed them down to me, telling me that even though Ata's life on Earth had ended, his memory would still live on in me as long as I held them close." Wrapping his fingers around the knife's handle, Otabek brought it close to his heart, childhood memories of sitting in Ata's lap and listening to him read books of Kazakh folklore in his deep, gravelly voice filling his mind. "Of course, Ana was absolutely furious when we returned home and she found out Ake had given a knife to an eight-year-old, but...it helped. As long as I had the knife and compass with me, it truly felt as if a part of him was still alive."
"I'm so sorry. I had no idea…" JJ murmured, giving Otabek a comforting hug. "I shouldn't have –"
"It's okay." Shrugging, he slipped the knife back into his pocket. He didn't blame JJ for thinking it was a piece of junk. Though Otabek had done his best to care for it, the years had left it scratched and tarnished. "There's no way you could have known. I'm just glad you found it. Anyway, come on." He reached for JJ's hand, pulling him in the direction of their campsite. "Let's head back to the tent."
They walked together in comfortable silence, hand-in-hand. Above them, the night sky twinkled with a multitude of tiny stars, the full moon like a white pearl against the darkness. It made Otabek wish he was better at night photography. He'd tried a few times before to capture the beauty of the cosmos, but the photos never came out quite right. He probably needed a different lens or something.
"Beautiful, eh?" JJ asked, breaking the silence between them.
"JJ?"
"The sky." He pointed upwards. "You don't see stars like this in Toronto."
"Oh, yeah. It's the same in Almaty. All the light pollution, I guess. But up in the mountains, far away from the city…" He tilted his head upwards. "It's absolutely breathtaking, like the entire sky is bathed in diamonds."
"You'll have to show me some day."
Otabek chuckled. "When you visit Kazakhstan?"
"Yeah," JJ said, as if it was already a done deal – plane ticket bought, suitcase packed – and not some distant dream unlikely to come true any time soon, if at all. "I want to see all the places that are important to you. The rink where you took your first steps on the ice, the mosque with all the cats, that canyon where you went camping with your father… What was it called again?"
"Charyn Canyon?"
"Yeah, that's the one." JJ tightened his grip on Otabek's hand. "I want to take you to Montreal one of these days, too," he added. "Toronto's fantastic, but I'll always be Québécois at heart. I'd love to show you around the city where I grew up, take you to see all the sights."
And introduce me to your extended family as your boyfriend? Otabek wanted to add, but didn't, not wanting to ruin the fantasy of it all. "That's sounds great," he said instead, smiling softly. "I'd like that."
By that time, they had returned to their campsite. Reluctantly, Otabek pulled his hand away from JJ's and started to unzip the entrance to the tent when a loud ping cut through the peaceful quiet of the night.
He glanced back at JJ, who was reaching into his jacket pocket. Unlike him, JJ had remembered to bring his phone with him, the screen lighting up as he checked the notification.
"Anything important?" Otabek asked, trying not to frown as JJ tapped out a quick response. Another late night text message? Did he get those often?
"Nah, it's just Cami, checking in to make sure we're still alive," he said with a chuckle. "She meant to call earlier, but it slipped her mind. I told her we were fine and not to worry so much."
"Oh." That made sense, he supposed.
And it didn't seem like JJ was lying. Otabek could usually sense when he was. JJ wasn't the best liar, but he didn't notice any of the usual signs – stuttering words, a slightly higher pitched tone of voice – that indicated he wasn't being entirely truthful.
"Anyway, come on, let's get back to bed," JJ said. He came over and finished unzipping the flap, holding it up for Otabek to go through. "We have an eventful day lined up for tomorrow!"
I'm just being paranoid, Otabek thought as he ducked inside the tent and crawled back into the sleeping bag after shedding his sneakers and jacket. JJ joined him a couple of minutes later, spooning up behind him and kissing his shoulder.
There was nothing to worry about.
He hoped.
DISCLAIMER: "Yuri! On Ice" doesn't belong to me.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Happy New Year, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Chapter 12 should be posted in early March. Feel free to follow me on Tumblr; my username is kaleidodreams.
I've never been to Elora – or even Canada in general – so I relied a lot on Internet research to write this chapter. Please forgive any mistakes or inaccuracies if you're actually familiar with the area. I did take a bit of creative license in having Camille and Christian stay at the Elora Mill Hotel and Spa. At the time this story takes place (the summer of 2014), the hotel was undergoing a huge renovation, so they obviously would not have been able to get a room there in real life. But this story isn't real life, so just ignore that. It reopened four years early in this universe! Yeah, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.