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When Henry had applied for a job at a summer camp, he’d thought he had an idea of what it would entail. Teaching kids how to make beaded necklaces and weave baskets, singing songs around a campfire, and, sure, occasionally disciplining them, but he could handle that. He thought it would be a good way to get out of his apartment when he otherwise wouldn’t, and maybe make some American friends like Pez was always pushing him to do. What Henry hadn’t accounted for, however, was his extremely attractive fellow camp counselor and roommate- one Alex Claremont-Diaz, with his adorable dark curls and his bright, expressive eyes. He also had not accounted for their whirlwind romance, comprised of passionate kisses and heated groping in the night, and feather-light touches and stolen glances in the day.
“Was it just me, or were the kids extra rowdy today?” Alex sighed as he flopped on his twin bed opposite Henry’s. Henry glanced over, watching the way the slivers of moonlight illuminated Alex’s face.
“No, you’re right. I think the kitchen put some extra sugar in their food this morning. Did you see how bouncy Sam was? She’s usually so quiet.” Alex hummed in response, but didn’t say anything, just turning his head to gaze across the room at Henry. The moon provided just enough light for Henry to read the playful expression of Alex’s face.
“What are you thinking about? Am I going to like it?”
“Let’s go get lost somewhere. Let’s run through the woods and have an adventure.” Alex smirked, then swung his legs over the side of his bed and grabbed a pair of jeans from the floor. He quickly pulled them on, then slipped his feet into his sneakers. “Cmon, it’ll be fun!”
Henry rolled out of his own bed, quickly putting on trousers, a shirt, and some shoes, before grabbing the flashlight he brought and clipping it to his belt loop. Taking special care not to step on the creaky floorboards, Henry and Alex opened the back door and slipped out of their cabin into the night.
They made their way around the back of the cabins, careful to stay out of the lamplight on the off chance that their supervisor was awake. Once they passed the last cabin, Alex raced down the hill towards the river, Henry close on his heels.
They slowed as they reached the bottom of the valley, not wanting to make too much noise as they crossed the wooden bridge over the river. Climbing the hill on the other side of the bridge, they veered to the left towards the edge of the woods. Alex stopped at the tree line and grinned at Henry, his smile widening when Henry grinned back. Together, they walked into the woods.
Alex and Henry stepped over rocks and ducked under low-hanging branches, moving deeper into the forest. It was a surreal experience, walking between the trees he knew so well in the dark, the only other man-made sound Alex’s footsteps. Owls hidden in the branches hooted into the night. Near Henry’s foot, a frog croaked before jumping away into the underbrush when Henry shone the flashlight at it.
Henry hadn’t realized he was swinging his arms until his knuckles brushed against Alex’s, sending sparks shooting up his arm. It was ridiculous, the effect that Alex had on Henry after just three weeks. Just one look from him made Henry’s heart flutter, one touch left Henry wanting more.
Lost in thought, Henry didn’t notice the fallen tree branch until it was too late and he was already losing his balance and falling face-first towards the ground. His palms stung as he caught himself in the dirt, and pain flared in his knee where it landed a bit too hard. Henry groaned on impact, taking a second to compose himself. Alex was already next to him, one hand on Henry’s shoulder and the other reaching down to help Henry up. Henry gratefully clasped Alex’s hand and pulled himself up, dusting off his pants. Alex pulled Henry’s hands towards himself, inspecting them in the moonlight.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” There was a slight tinge of something in Alex’s voice, something that Henry couldn’t place.
“I’m fine, baby, really. I just tripped. Although… it wouldn’t hurt if you kissed it better.”
“Oh, really? Where does it hurt?” Henry turned his palms up, and Alex slowly pressed a kiss to one, then the other, not breaking eye contact. Silently, Henry pointed to his shoulder, and Alex kissed along the seam of Henry’s shirt. Then Henry pointed to his lips. Tenderly, Alex cupped Henry’s face in his hands and pressed their lips together. Henry didn’t know how long the two of them stood there, only that he chased Alex’s mouth when Alex finally pulled back. Alex smiled, affection written plainly on his face.
“Should I hold your hand so you don’t trip and fall any more?”
“If you wanted to hold my hand, you should’ve just asked me, love.” Despite the teasing, Henry held out his hand to Alex, who quickly took it and interlocked their fingers. As they kept walking, Henry had to admit that the feel of Alex’s hand in his was a comfort, the weight and pressure a welcome reassurance. What exactly it was a reassurance of, however, Henry wasn’t sure.
They continued through the woods until they reached a clearing in the trees. Alex pulled Henry into the middle of the clearing, then sat on the ground and stretched out, laying back in the grass. Grinning up at Henry, he patted the spot next to him. Henry gladly acquiesced, settling into the grass next to Alex, using Alex’s arm as a pillow.
As Henry laid there next to Alex, watching the stars twinkle above them, he tried to stop his mind from wandering to the future. There were only two more weeks of camp, and Henry didn’t know if Alex would want to continue whatever they had after that. Actually, he didn’t know if he would ever see Alex after this summer. There was no guarantee either of them would work at the camp next year. But for now, Henry forced himself to be content with this- laying in the forest and staring at the stars, curled into Alex’s side. He could definitely get used to this.