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The weather was a bit miserable, but by now Maxim learned to appreciate the silver lining in most things. While it was raining, there wasn’t much wind and the aroma of wet grass and mud lingered in the air. Aside from that, life wasn’t too bad. Free time with Timur, camping in the wilderness, Maxim couldn’t ask for any more. They spent the daylight exploring and by the late afternoon, they found a nice place to set up camp.
As odd as it seemed to an outsider perspective, they prided themselves on their ability to coordinate surprisingly well. If it wasn’t their ability to change the bedcovers in record time or build flatpack furniture without losing their temper, they were getting good at assembling the tent. Alexsandr always liked to joke they must have been twins in a different lifetime given how close their bond was, but they knew there was nothing fraternal between them.
Several feet from the tent, Timur began to set up the fire. He fidgeted with the flint and steel for a moment before taking off his gloves for better dexterity. It would seem sensible to let Maxim handle it, seeing as he had a lighter which could take care of this in seconds. The tinder was stubborn, but Timur was committed to the task of getting the fire lit before Maxim would return from collecting more wood. If anything, there was the determination for Timur to prove his capabilities. He enjoyed the silent praise in Maxim’s small smile towards him.
Just as the older man was returning, Timur managed to get the kindling to smoke. He blew on it gently and fed it some more dry grass, praying that there wouldn’t be a malevolent breeze to ruin his hard work for the fourth time.
Maxim set down the thick twigs and chopped up branches. His breaths were heavy with exertion and he gave a harsh cough then spat on the ground. “Hopefully it doesn’t start raining,” he said between pants and nodded towards the growing flame. The side of his trousers were dirtied with muck from where he had slipped, but neither of them mentioned it to avoid the embarrassment.
“Hopefully,” Timur agreed. He set their metal kettle atop the campfire and warmed his hands.
Once the water was rolling into a boil, he prepared two cups of instant coffee and offered one to Maxim. They enjoyed the hot drink with a cigarette, squatted down next to their little fire with the daylight burning steadily.
The next hours slipped by without much trouble. They made their way down to a nearby stream to fill their canteens and found themselves distracted with the surrounding wildlife. If it wasn’t taking photos of the landscape, it was their natural curiosity of searching for interesting critters in the vegetation. There was boyish joy in picking up woodlice from the underside of damp logs. In Maxim’s case, plucking the wild flowers and asking Timur to hold out his hand, dumping the cluster onto his palm as a little surprise.
With flowers in their breast pockets, they eventually found their way to a decently sized lake. The perfect place to skip rocks and allow their conversations to wander into more heartful territory.
The distraction of the world around them burnt enough time and they returned to camp with weary legs. As they walked, Maxim gave Timur’s hand a gentle squeeze and swung it lightly between their strides. They had been dating for quite some time now, yet the simplest act of holding hands was enough to make them bashful at times.
With the dusk setting in soon, they heated up some canned soup and enjoyed it in their tent. The air was still and stagnant, but at the very least there was no chilling winds. A light rain had come on moments prior, thankfully after they were finished with the fire. Once they washed up all their utensils, they figured it would be best to zip up the door of the tent and get settled down for the night. There was no use in watching a pile of smouldering ash and getting soaked in the downpour.
It took a few minutes of shuffling and rustling around before they managed to get comfortable. From the get go, they had always known Timur wasn’t a fan of sleeping on the ground. He preferred a softer surface and in these cases, Maxim’s chest would suffice rather nicely. He waited with an eager stare then shifted closer to rest his cheek against Maxim’s warm shirt, face smothered against his pectoral.
Timur’s palm came to rest against Maxim’s belly and gave it a rub when it grumbled in the aftermath of their dinner. Sleep was quickly taking hold of them after such a long day of walking. While they were exhausted, nothing stopped their sudden desire to demonstrate affection towards one another.
The lamp was still on, illuminating the small space of their tent with an orange glow. A gentle pattering began and grew in intensity as the minutes passed by. The drumming of raindrops against the tarp of their tent filled them with a mixture of feelings. It was almost calming to listen to the rain, but soon enough they would tire of the constant pitter-pattering and pray for the weather to ease.
With the noise, it was going to take a little longer to fall asleep. Maxim turned his attention to the man in his embrace and gave him a light squeeze, tightening his hold for a brief moment. This contact gave him a mild rush and the tension in his muscles began to ease, replaced by a relaxation he associated so intensely with his lover.
Timur was warm against him, his body heavy in a soothing way. In the autumn, his hair was beginning to grow a bit longer and it held a homely scent over the course of the days. It wasn’t dirty nor did it hold the artificial aromas from shampoo. It was simply him. And Maxim adored- loved every aspect of him from the firmness of his muscles to his natural scent.
Alongside Timur’s other masculine features, spending several days in the wild allowed his beard to grow thicker. While Maxim liked to tease him on the pattern of growth of his facial hair, there was no doubt the older man found himself a little jealous of how dense it was. Throughout his life, he hadn’t really noticed it in other men, but with Timur, there was something inexplicably handsome and charming about his grown stubble.
Stiff hairs scratched against Maxim’s palm as he touched Timur’s jawline, cupping his cheek. The pads of his fingers rubbed the smooth skin behind Timur’s ears and massaged gently, gaining a soft hum of satisfaction. They remained closely bundled under their sleeping bags and blankets, huddled together to share the heat.
After a couple minutes, Timur got up and reached over to turn off the lamp. He gave Maxim a firm peck on the lips as he returned to his original position, then a dozen more kisses down his neck for good measure. Even in the darkness, Maxim could tell he was smiling as he nuzzled his face against the older man’s chest once more, inhaling the smells gathered in the soft cotton of his shirt. The scent of sweat wasn’t the most pleasant, yet it was oddly comforting for them, a morbid enjoyment.
Just two guys, sleeping in their grime.
“Sniffing me like a dog,” Maxim commented in a quiet mutter. He had an arm around Timur then tucked the other hand behind his head. Eyes closed, there was only one thing for Maxim to focus on and that was the sensation of a nose brushing against his underarm.
“You smell like one,” Timur joked. Though really, he didn’t mind it.
They broke into quiet laughter and tried to compose themselves once more, another genuine attempt to try and get some rest. The ground was hard underneath them, not the most ideal condition for Timur, but the relaxation from Maxim lightly scratching his back certainly helped bring him closer to sleep. Above, the rain continued to drum down against their tent louder than ever. Nothing was quite perfect, but it didn’t change the fact that being together brought them the purest of joys.