Unbreakable Stories: Snow (Unbreakable Bonds 2.5)

“I’m smart enough to love your ass.”

“True.” Jude nodded. “And if it didn’t feel like my balls were stuck to it, I’d take us farther into the woods for some fun.”

“Gross fucker,” Snow muttered, pulling him close for another kiss. “I’m going to think about this having kids thing, okay? You’ve changed everything I expected to have already, so who knows? But it won’t be anytime soon. I’m enjoying us.”

“So am I.”

They walked hand in hand back to camp to find everyone settled in around the campfire pit with plates balanced on their laps. Thankfully, nobody had started a fire tonight. The sun was already setting, so Jude started getting the lanterns ready. He had no intention of crawling this smelly into that tent tonight, so he planned to talk to Andrei about where he and Snow could go for a quick shower. A jug of water and a bar of soap just wasn’t gonna fly. Surely one of the campgrounds had a pay-for-shower option. He’d brought a lot of coins just in case.

“I’m tired of watching you guys come out of the woods with swollen lips and smiles.” Ian grouchily picked up his brat-filled bun and pointed it at them. “Stop making me jealous and grab some food. I put the sides back in the cooler—pick which ones you want. I gave up on the menu.”

“That was quick.” Rowe shoveled a spoonful of something into his mouth.

“I learn fast. Besides, you’re the one who got a helping of everything first.” Ian then pointed his bun at Lucas and an onion fell off to splat on his shoe. He grimaced and used a napkin to wipe it off. “Then he followed suit, then Andrei. There’s no purpose in trying to keep to the plan now.”

Lucas halted the fork he’d been bringing to his mouth. “You don’t really mind, do you?”

Jude understood why he asked. Ian never minded when people loved his food. Never. He and Snow both stopped to stare at Ian.

“No, not really.” His lip quirked. “Sorry. I’m pretty sure camping isn’t my thing because I have never wanted a shower more.”

“I’m with him,” Snow said as he piled food on a plate. “And Jude smells like shit—so he could use one, too.”

Jude just snorted and rubbed up against his back. Snow winked over his shoulder and handed him the spoon for the potato salad. When Jude picked a spot to sit, he made sure he was downwind of everyone. Snow figured out what he was doing, smirked, and purposely sat on his other side.

“I’m just messing with you,” he murmured.

“I know.” Jude bit into the brat and flavorful, hot juice spilled into his mouth. He slowly chewed, noting that the brat buns were nothing like the regular hot dog ones he’d grown up eating with brats and metts. These were chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside. Delicious. This meal was eons better than their burnt bacon breakfast.

All the men were quiet tonight. Each slowly raised food to his mouth and the only sounds other than the crickets and birds were grunts or words of pleasure over the meal. Jude was pretty sure it was the best meal he’d ever had because every bite took away more of the gnawing emptiness that had been his stomach after that long hike. But once he’d cleared his plate, exhaustion set in and he no longer cared about finding a shower.

All he wanted to do was stretch out and sleep—but when Andrei suggested driving them to a campground with showers, he managed to stay awake long enough to clean up.

When he finally climbed into the tent with Snow that night, all he could do was pull him close, nuzzle into damp hair at his nape and let sleep take over. Right before he nodded off, something crashed somewhere in the camp.

“Oh my God, is it a bear?” Ian yelled.